Port Braised Pork Butt with Figs

Delicious dish with an affordable cut of pork.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried sage
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 lb pork butt, most external fat trimmed. Rolled and tied.
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 cup carrot, diced
• 1/4 cup scallions, sliced, white parts only
• 1 cup port wine
• 1 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup dried figs, cut into quarters
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

• Pre-heat oven to 325 F.
• Mix kosher salt, black pepper, thyme, sage, mustard, and olive oil. Rub onto and thoroughly cover pork.
• Heat oil in a dutch oven on high heat. When the oil is hot and slightly smoking, add pork. Brown pork on all sides. Remove pork and set aside.
• Lower heat to medium and add onion, scallions, and carrot to dutch oven. Cook vegetables until soft.
• Pour port and chicken broth into dutch oven scraping the brown bits from the bottom. Add figs and bay leaves and bring to boil. Add pork back in. Cover with foil and lid to form a tight fit.
• Place the dutch over into the oven and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the pork is tender and the internal temperature of the pork is 165 F. Remove pork from pot and set aside covered loosely with foil to rest for about 10 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaves. Remove 1/4 cup of the figs, carrots, onions and puree. Stir puree back into the sauce to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove string from pork and slice to 1/2 in. thick slices.
• Serve slices with sauce, figs, and vegetables.