Braised Pears Recipes

POACHED PEARS IN HONEY, GINGER AND CINNAMON SYRUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan large enough to hold all the pears, combine the wine, Simple Syrup, cinnamon stick halves, honey, and ginger. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean and add the bean and seeds to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the honey has melted. Add the pears and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until the pears are tender. Remove the pears from the liquid and allow to cool.
• Continue to simmer the liquid until it thickens and is reduced by half, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Remove the cinnamon stick halves and the vanilla bean and discard.
• Place each pear on a small serving plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Drizzle with the honey, ginger and cinnamon syrup. Serve immediately.
• In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool.

BRAISED PORK LOIN WITH PEARS

Steps:

• Combine salt and spices. Coat pork with the spice mixture, and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil. Add pork to pot. Sear pork until golden, turning with tongs, about 2 minutes per side. Stir in wine and bay leaves, scraping bottom of pot to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover, and simmer, basting meat with cooking liquid several times, 25 minutes. Remove pork from pot, and set aside.
• Stir in carrots, onions, parsnips, and garlic. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Make a well in center; return pork to pot. Quarter and core pears (peel and leave some whole if desired). Add pears, and simmer until pears are tender and a meat thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 145 degrees for medium, about 15 minutes. Let rest in pot 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Transfer the vegetables and pears to a platter with the sliced pork. Pour sauce through a fine sieve into a bowl; pour over pork.

BRANDIED PEARS

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl halfway with cold water, and add lemon juice. Peel pears as carefully and smoothly as possible, leaving stems attached. Place pears in water as they are peeled.
• Combine sugar, cinnamon sticks, and 3 quarts water in a large stockpot. Drain pears, and add to pot. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until just tender when pierced with a knife, 10 to 30 minutes, depending on size and ripeness.
• Remove pears from liquid with a slotted spoon, and divide evenly among three quart jars.
• Raise heat under pot to high, and cook liquid until reduced to 2 cups, about 50 minutes. Remove from heat; strain liquid through a sieve lined with cheesecloth into a bowl. Divide the liquid evenly among the jars, and add about 1 cup brandy, or enough to cover pears, to each. Allow jars to cool, and screw on lids. Refrigerate for several weeks before eating to allow flavors to develop.

BRANDIED PEARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix 1/3 cup brown sugar with water and lemon juice together in an ungreased baking dish until sugar is dissolved. Arrange pear halves, core side down, in the dish, and baste with the sauce. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake pears in the preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes, or until fork-tender but not mushy.
• Meanwhile, mix nuts together with the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons brandy, and the yogurt; set aside. In a separate bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Sprinkle in white sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons of brandy, or liqueur of choice, and gently whip a few strokes more.
• To serve, place one pear half in the center of each serving plate and fill core cavity with nut stuffing. Top with whipped cream. Serve warm.

BRAISED PEARS IN RED WINE

Steps:

• Cut a thin level horizontal slice from the bottom of each pear so they can easily stand upright.
• In a medium stockpot, combine the wine, water, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon.
• Bring to a boil over high heat.
• Remove from heat and carefully stand pears upright in pot.
• Return pot to burner and bring to brisk simmer over medium-high heat.
• Reduct the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently until pears are very tender but not falling apart, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, basting with liquid occasionally.
• With slotted spoon transfer pears to a individual serving plates.
• Meanwhile, boil the cooking liquid over high heat until syrupy and reduced to about 1/2 cup.
• Remove and discard cinnamon pieces.
• Spoon syrup evenly over the pears; let cool to room temperature.
• Serve at room temperature.
• Or cover and refrigerate 1- 24 hours and serve chilled.

BRAISED PEARS

Steps:

• Bring the liquid and spice to a simmer and cook until the sugar dissolves.
• Add the peeled pears, steams on.
• Simmer for 15 minutes. The pears should be covered with the liquid, so use the right pot (thick bottomed pot).
• After simmering, remove from heat and cool the pears in the liquid.
• Turn into a bowl that will keep the pears covered in the sauce and refrigerate covered with saran wrap.
• Marinate for a day or two.
• Remove sauce and keep pears in the fridge covered.
• Bring sauce to a simmer and reduce by half.
• Chill sauce and pears until ready to service.
• Serve in martini glasses with good vanilla ice cream.
• Pour warm sauce over the pears.

JACQUES PEPIN'S BRAISED PEARS IN CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Peel pears and cut in half lengthwise. Remove cores. Place pear halves flat side down in single layer in 1 or 2 large baking or gratin dishes. Sprinkle sugar over pears and dot with butter.
• Place in oven and bake 35 minutes. By this time sugar should have caramelized and pears should be tender when pierced with point of knife. If pears are not tender continue cooking 5 to 10 minutes. Pour cream over pears and return to oven. Bake 10 to 15 minutes more, basting every 5 minutes with cream.
• Cream should have reduced and thickened and turned nice ivory color. If sauce seems to be separating, add a tablespoon or two of hot water.
• Remove pears from oven, allow to cool slightly. Serve directly from baking dish.

PORK WITH BRAISED RED CABBAGE & PEARS

Steps:

• Put the cabbage, pears, ginger, stock and vinegar into a pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat. Cover, then gently cook, stirring occasionally, for 40 mins. Stir in the walnuts.
• Split the pork fillet almost in half down its length, then open out like a book. Rub on all sides with the oil and smear with mustard. Grill for 15 mins, turning once, until the pork is browned and just cooked. Cover with foil, rest for 2 mins, then slice and serve with the cabbage.

BRAISED BEEF WITH PEARS AND FRESH GINGER

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Stand neck bones (close together for support), meat side up, in row in heavy large roasting pan. Brush meaty tops with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Broil until meat is deep brown, turning pan for even cooking, about 12 minutes. Transfer bones to rimmed baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
• Place roasting pan over 2 burners. Add 1/4 cup oil, onions, celery, and carrots. Sauté over medium-high heat until tender and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer 1 cup vegetable mixture to small bowl and reserve for sauce.
• Add ginger and garlic to pan; stir 30 seconds. Add wine and boil until reduced to glaze, about 5 minutes. Return neck bones to pan, arranging flat side down in single layer. Nestle in herb sprigs, bay leaves, and juniper berries. Top with pig's feet, cut side down. Pour broth over and bring to boil.
• Cover roasting pan tightly with foil and place in oven. Braise until meat is very tender and falling off bones, about 3 hours. Using tongs, transfer neck bones to rimmed baking sheet to cool. Discard pig's feet.
• Strain pan juices into large bowl, pressing on solids in strainer to release all juices; discard solids. Spoon all fat off surface of pan juices, reserving 1 tablespoon fat for sauce. Return juices to roasting pan. Boil over 2 burners until reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes, occasionally stirring up browned bits. Transfer juices to large pot. Add reserved 1 cup vegetable mixture. Stir 1 tablespoon reserved fat and flour in small bowl to smooth paste; whisk into sauce. Boil until reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about 12 minutes. Add pears to sauce. Simmer pears, uncovered, until tender, about 8 minutes.
• Pull all meat off bones; cut meat into bite-size pieces. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Mix meat into sauce in pot. DO AHEAD: Stew can be made 1 day ahead. Cool 1 hour; cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before continuing.
• Spoon stew into large bowl. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

BRAISED GOOSE WITH PEARS

Steps:

• Turn heat to medium-high under a casserole or deep skillet, at least 12 inches across. A minute later, add goose pieces, skin side down. Cook, adjusting heat so the skin doesn't scorch and rotating pieces until skin side is browned and rendered of fat, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn, then sprinkle skin side with salt and pepper, and brown 2 or 3 minutes on the meat side. Remove goose, and pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat.
• Add bacon to the skillet, if desired, and cook until brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Add onions, bay leaves and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, and seasoning with salt and pepper, until onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Add dried fruit, and cook a minute or 2 more, stirring occasionally. Add wine, and raise heat to high. Cook until wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
• Return goose to skillet, and turn heat to very low. Cover, and cook (the mixture should be barely bubbling) for at least 2 hours, turning once or twice, until goose is very tender. Add vinegar, sliced fruit and a good grinding of black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fruit is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste, and adjust seasonings Serve with crusty bread or over lightly buttered noodles.