Skip to content

Robert St. John

Restaurateur, author, enthusiastic traveler, & world-class eater.

Pork Loin with Prunes

Ingredients

1 Center cut pork loin roast (about 4 lbs.)
2 – 7 oz. bags dried pitted prunes, rough chopped
1 TB + ¼ tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp Fresh ground black pepper
¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
2 cups Red onion, small diced
¼ cup Dry white wine
2 cups Chicken stock (see recipe)
1 cup Cognac or Brandy

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.

Using a paring knife, cut a slit in the top of the pork loin about 2” in length into the center of the loin, about every 2”. Using 1 bag of the prunes, fill each slit with an equal amount of prunes until they are gone. Season the outside of the pork loin with 1 TB of the salt and the black pepper.

Heat the oil in a roasting pan over medium-high heat. Brown on all sides and set aside. In the same pan, sauté the onions until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Deglaze with the wine and reduce by half. Add the stock and return the pork loin to the pan. Place in the oven until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145-155, about an hour. Reserve 1 cup of the braising liquid. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.

While the pork is resting, combine the other bag of prunes with the cognac/brandy in a small sauce pot over high heat. Reduce the liquor until it has almost completely evaporated. Add the reserved cooking liquid and the remainder of the salt and reduce by half.

Once the pork loin has rested, slice into ¼“-½“ thick slices, and top with the prune reduction.

Recent Recipes

Amalfi Lemon Cake

There's a particular kind of sunshine that only shows up in citrus form, and this Amalfi Lemon Cake has it in spades. Bright, moist, and unapologetically lemony, it walks the line between a proper dessert and something you'd be just as happy eating with your coffee on a Tuesday morning. The glaze soaks into the crumb while the cake's still warm, so every bite carries that little pucker of acidity balanced against real sweetness. It's simple enough for a weeknight and pretty enough for company.

Read more

Pecan Crusted Redfish

There's a certain kind of Southern kitchen wisdom that says you can't improve on a fresh Gulf redfish — and for the most part, that's true. But every now and then a dish comes along that doesn't so much improve the fish as it does pay proper respect to it, and this pecan-crusted redfish is one of those. It's a dish that works just as well for a Tuesday supper as it does for a table full of guests you're trying to impress — which, if you ask me, is the mark of a truly great recipe. Serve it simple, with rice or grits and something green on the side, and let the fish do the talking.

Read more

Stuffed Pork

Robert St. John's Stuffed Pork is an elegant centerpiece dish that takes a braised pork loin and layers it with Black Forest ham and melted Fontina cheese for a result that's as impressive to look at as it is to eat. The pork is seared, slow-roasted in chicken stock, and then sliced accordion-style so each cut fans open to hold the savory fillings before going back into the oven to meld together. A silky pan sauce made from the reduced braising liquid and heavy cream ties it all together, making this one of those recipes that feels restaurant-worthy without being out of reach.

Read more