Pork With Quince( Hirino Me Kythonia ) -

Pork With Quince
( Hirino Me Kythonia )

Quince is a forgotten fruit which deserves to be remembered and relished. Although quinces were enjoyed raw in ancient times, they have a tartness which many people today find distasteful. They are wonderful poached, baked, or in tarts and pies, and their acidity provides a nice foil to heavy meat dishes. The longer they are cooked, the pinker the flesh becomes. Conference pears can be used, but they produce an altogether sweeter dish. If you use them, reduce the pear quantity to 1.1 kg (2 lb) and the sugar to 25 g (1 oz).

Ingredients

1 kg (2 lb) pork, shoulder or leg meat, cut into 2.5-4 cm (1-1 ½ in) cubes
1 large mild Spanish onion, chopped
4 tablespoons fruity olive oil
½ teaspoon freshly ground cumin
½ teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 medium-sized leeks, trimmed, washed and whites thinly sliced
1.4 kg (3 lb) quinces, peeled, cored and sliced
125 g (4 oz) sugar
15 g (½ oz) flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
½ fat bunch of spring onions, white and light green chopped

Details

Serves: 6

Method

1.In a flameproof casserole big enough to take all the ingredients, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sauté the onion until brown, then sprinkle with the cumin, cinnamon, cayenne and black pepper and continue frying for a minute. 2.Add the pork cubes and sauté until well browned on all sides. Pour in 250 ml (8 fl oz) water, cover and simmer gently for about an hour, adding more water as necessary. 3.In the meantime, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a saucepan and fry the leeks gently until transparent. Add the cubed quince and stir, adding a little water if the fruit sticks. Sprinkle with the sugar and let it caramelize - about 20 minutes. When the pork has had an hour and a half, add the quince mixture and simmer until meat and fruit are tender - another 30 minutes or so. 4.Garnish with parsley, dill and spring onions and serve with rice or pasta.

Related food category:

• Pork