Quince & Pomegranate Glazed Pork

Posted on 5th July 2019

Pork, although not traditionally used in the Middle East, is enjoyed by many and when I think of this meat, I always imagine it in a sticky and sweet sauce. This marinade has fantastic and unusual flavours that work very well with the pork. The fillet is a completely lean cut, but needs every bit of flavour it can get as a result of the lack of fat.

Quince is such a special ingredient and these days, you can find quince paste in every supermarket near the cheese section. It provides the base for my marinade in this simple but mouthwatering pork dish, which is great served with a simple side salad or even sliced thinly and stuffed into pitta breads.

• Combine the quince paste, pomegranate juice, pomegranate molasses, honey, sea salt and spices in a small bowl and mix them well (using a fork might help to mash the quince paste down) until the quince paste is thoroughly dissolved.
• Roll the pork fillet in the marinade (you can cut it into 2 manageable pieces if preferred), cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave in the refrigerator to marinate for a minimum of l hour, although the pork will taste much better if marinated overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4. When you are ready to cook the pork, preheat a large oven proof frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil. Shake off any excess marinade (reserve the remaining marinade) and sear the pork fillet for a couple of minutes on each side until it colours and forms a nice seared crust. It may blacken somewhat because of the sugars in the marinade, but don’t worry – this doesn’t mean the meat is burnt. Brush some of the leftover marinade evenly on to the pork fillet and transfer the pan to the oven for a further 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes.
• While the pork rests, pour the remaining marinade into a small pan and heat gently until it bubbles. Once rested, cut the fillet into 5cm (2in) thick medallions or thinly slice. Serve with a drizzle of the marinade.

SERYES 4

150g (5½oz) quince paste (membrillo) 100ml (3½oz) pomegranate juice
I tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tbsp clear honey
2 tsp sea salt flakes
I tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
600g (1lb 5oz) loin pork fillet
I tbsp olive oil