Braised Pork with Pears and Chiles

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pork butt or shoulder (about 3 1/2 lbs.), tied as a roast
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 8 to 12 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 dried arbol chiles
• 1 large mild dried chile, such as New Mexico
• 6 Bosc or Anjou pears

Preparation

1. 1. Rub salt and pepper all over pork. Cover and chill overnight.
2. 2. Preheat oven to 350°. Heat a large ovenproof pot over high heat and pour in oil. When hot, add pork. Brown pork on all sides until well browned (about 4 minutes per side), adjusting the heat to keep the pork sizzling but not burning. Transfer pork to a plate or platter.
3. 3. Reduce heat to medium and add wine and lemon juice, scraping up browned bits. Add broth, garlic, and chiles. Return pork to pot and bring liquid to a boil. Cover pork and bake in oven until tender when pierced with a fork, about 2 hours.
4. 4. Quarter, core, and peel pears. Add pears to pot, cover, and bake until pears are cooked through, about 30 minutes. Serve hot, with pan juices.
5. Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.