Vinegar-Braised Pork and Onions

This is a great recipe that could just as easily substitute chicken or beef for the pork.  I like the richness of the pork counter-balancing the sharpness of the red wine and vinegar.  The balsamic brings a nice sweetness to the dish that also plays nicely with the pork.  I am serving this with a mashed sweet potato side dish that has some roasted garlic whipped into it.  This could easily be prepared in a slow cooker as well.  I would start the pancetta on high heat to start it rendering down. Then put all the remaining ingredients into the pot.  I could start it in the morning, set on low and when I got home, dinner would be ready.


2 # pearl onions
Kosher salt
3 Tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. pancetta, cut into 1/4" pieces
4 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
5-7 # Pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 C. balsamic vinegar
3/4 C. red wine
2 C. low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 C. golden raisins
2 bay leaves


Cook onions in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, 5-8 minutes. Drain and let cool. Trim root ends; peel.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add pancetta to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and pancetta is brown, 8-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to a large bowl.

Add onions to same pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer onions and garlic to bowl with pancetta.

Season pork with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add pork to pot and cook, turning, until browned on all sides, 8-10 minutes per batch; transfer to bowl with onions.

Carefully drain fat from pot and return to medium-high heat. Add wine, and vinegar to pot and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Add broth, raisins, bay leaves, and reserved pork, pancetta, onions, and garlic to pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until pork is fork-tender, 45-50  minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer pork and onions to a large platter. Skim fat from cooking liquid and discard. Remove bay leaves, and season sauce with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over pork and onions.  Serve and Enjoy!