Oven-Baked Pork with Prunes

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you bake pork with prunes in the oven? Gather the ingredients on the list. Choose fresh pork in a long, oblong cut — pork neck (collar) or tenderloin work best. I used tenderloin. For the marinade, combine the mustard, sour cream, pressed garlic, and salt in a bowl.

2. Step 2:

   

   Soak the prunes in warm water for 5 minutes, then drain, rinse under running water, and let them dry. If the prunes have an oily film on them, pour boiling water over them to remove it, then rinse and dry.

3. Step 3:

   

   Prep the meat. Wash it and pat it dry with paper towels, then make deep crosswise cuts along the tenderloin, stopping about 1/2 inch (1–2 cm) short of the bottom so the slices stay attached. You'll end up with a fan of pieces about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick.

4. Step 4:

   

   Slather the meat generously with the marinade, working it carefully into every cut.

5. Step 5:

   

   Tuck prunes into the cuts — a few in each. I used all 100 grams. Wrap the meat in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to marinate; the longer the better, even overnight. Once marinated, you're ready to bake. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

6. Step 6:

   

   Get a baking dish and two pieces of foil long enough to wrap the meat completely. I use a rectangular glass dish. Lay the first sheet of foil across the dish and the second lengthwise, and brush the top sheet with vegetable oil. Set the meat on it and wrap it tightly, first with one sheet and then the other, making sure there are no gaps — otherwise the juices leak out and the oven fills with smoke.

7. Step 7:

   

   Put the meat in the preheated 400°F (200°C) oven. The first stage of baking takes about 45 minutes, with the meat wrapped in foil the whole time.

8. Step 8:

   

   After 45 minutes, take the dish out, open up the foil, and return it to the oven for about 15 more minutes. In that time it develops an appetizing crust and finishes cooking. Keep in mind the time and temperature are approximate — go by your own oven and the doneness of the meat. Before serving, don't forget to spoon the juices that collected during baking back over the meat. Enjoy!