Coppa di Maiale Brasata al Sangiovese con Prugne e Cipolline (Italian Sangiovese Braised Pork)
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 8 hours ago
Pork collar is one of the best cuts for a serious braise because its intramuscular fat protects the meat during long cooking and gives the final sauce natural body. The objective here is not a sweet pork dish. Sangiovese supplies acidity and red-fruit structure, while prunes are used sparingly and added late so they remain a supporting accent rather than dissolving into the sauce.
Cipollini onions are glazed separately to preserve their shape and create a second caramelized texture. The finished jus should be dark, glossy, and savory enough to coat the meat without becoming sticky. Proper resting and clean slicing are essential because the dish should look composed rather than like pulled pork.
Recipe Information
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: About 3 hours
Resting Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: About 3 hours 50 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate
Course: Braised Pork
Cuisine: Italian, Tuscan inspired
Best Season: Fall through early spring
Service Temperature: Hot
Ingredients
Pork Braise
3 lb pork collar or pork neck, tied into a compact roast (1.35 kg)
2 tsp kosher salt (10 g)
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (3 g)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (30 ml)
1 medium carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
2 tbsp tomato paste (32 g)
2 cups dry Sangiovese (480 ml)
2 cups light chicken or pork stock (480 ml)
2 fresh sage sprigs
1 rosemary sprig
2 bay leaves
6 pitted prunes (90 g)
Cipollini Onions
12 small cipollini onions, peeled
1 tbsp unsalted butter (14 g)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (15 ml)
1 tsp sugar (4 g)
1/2 cup light stock (120 ml)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar (15 ml)
Kosher salt, as needed
Finishing
1 tbsp cold unsalted butter (14 g)
Fresh sage leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Step by Step Preparation
Pat the pork completely dry, tie it into a regular roast if necessary, and season with salt and black pepper. Let it stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes while the oven preheats to 325°F (165°C). A compact shape cooks more evenly and produces cleaner slices.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown the pork deeply on every side, allowing each surface enough contact time to develop a proper crust. Transfer the meat to a tray; the browned fond left in the pot is the foundation of the final sauce.
Reduce the heat to medium and add carrot, celery, and onion. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes until softened and lightly caramelized. Add the garlic for about 30 seconds, then add the tomato paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it darkens to a brick color.
Pour in the Sangiovese and scrape the bottom of the pot thoroughly. Bring to a steady simmer and reduce the wine by approximately half before any stock is added. This step concentrates the wine while allowing raw alcohol and aggressive acidity to dissipate.
Add the stock, sage, rosemary, and bay leaves. Return the pork to the pot; the liquid should reach about halfway up the meat, not cover it. Cover tightly and transfer to the oven for approximately 2 hours 15 minutes, turning the roast once.
After about 2 hours 15 minutes, add the prunes to the braising liquid and continue cooking uncovered for another 30 to 45 minutes. The pork is ready when a skewer enters easily but the roast still has enough structure to be sliced rather than collapsing.
Transfer the pork to a warm tray, cover loosely, and rest for 20 minutes. Strain the braising liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a clean saucepan and skim excess fat from the surface before reduction.
Simmer the strained liquid until glossy and concentrated enough to coat the back of a spoon. Return several prunes to the sauce if desired. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cold butter only after the desired concentration has been reached.
For the cipollini, heat butter and olive oil in a wide skillet. Brown the onions on several sides, add sugar and a small pinch of salt, then add stock and cover. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes until tender, remove the lid, add red wine vinegar, and reduce until a shiny glaze coats the onions.
Remove the butcher’s twine and slice the rested pork across the grain. Arrange two thick slices on each warm plate with three glazed cipollini and one prune. Spoon the Sangiovese jus around the meat instead of drowning the browned surface, then finish with sage, black pepper, and a few drops of olive oil.
Professional Technique
Controlled reduction is the central technique. Wine should never be treated as a simple liquid addition. Reducing Sangiovese before stock concentrates its fruit and acidity while removing raw alcohol, allowing the later braise to taste integrated rather than winey.
Pork collar tolerates long cooking because of its fat, but the braising liquid should never boil violently. Hard boiling tightens exterior proteins and emulsifies unnecessary fat into the sauce. A quiet oven braise produces tender meat and a cleaner jus that is easier to skim and reduce.
Prunes are added late because a three-hour braise would otherwise dissolve them into the sauce and make sweetness impossible to control. The same logic applies to the cipollini: separate glazing allows the onions to keep their shape and individual caramelized flavor.
For service, the braise can be completed one day ahead. Chill the pork in a portion of its strained liquid, then remove any solidified fat before reheating. This method often improves the flavor because the meat and sauce have time to integrate, while the cold fat is easier to remove accurately. Slice only after gentle reheating if the cleanest presentation is required.
The final jus should be judged for acidity as well as concentration. If the Sangiovese becomes too sharp during reduction, a small amount of stock can restore balance more effectively than sugar. The prunes already provide enough natural sweetness. Butter is the last adjustment, softening the edges and adding gloss without changing the savory identity of the sauce.
Chef Tips
Choose pork collar with visible marbling.
Tie the roast so the thickness is even from end to end.
Brown every surface patiently before beginning the braise.
Use a dry Sangiovese rather than a sweet or heavily oaked wine.
Reduce the wine before adding stock.
Add prunes late enough to preserve their shape.
Skim fat before the final sauce reduction.
Slice the rested pork across the grain.
Common Mistakes
Weak browning produces a shallow sauce.
Using sweet wine destroys the balance with prunes and onions.
Skipping the wine reduction leaves harsh alcohol notes.
Boiling the braise aggressively clouds the sauce and can dry the exterior.
Adding prunes at the beginning makes the sauce too sweet.
Reducing before removing fat concentrates grease along with flavor.
Cutting the pork immediately after braising releases juices and creates ragged slices.
Serving and Presentation
Use warm plates and show the cross section of the pork. Two overlapping slices are enough to communicate generosity without turning the plate into a pile of meat.
Keep the cipollini grouped beside the pork and use one prune as a deliberate accent. Spoon the jus around the base and finish with fresh sage and black pepper so the glossy meat remains visible.
Wine Pairing
Chianti Classico DOCG is the natural pairing. Sangiovese acidity cuts through pork fat while cherry, herbs, and savory tannin echo the braising sauce.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG offers greater depth and structure, especially when the jus is concentrated and the prune component is pronounced. Serve the reds around 60 to 64°F (16 to 18°C).
Storage and Reheating
Store the pork in a portion of its braising sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep the cipollini separately when possible.
Reheat sliced pork gently in the sauce over low heat without boiling. Warm the cipollini in their glaze. The sauce can be refrigerated separately for up to 4 days and loosened with a little stock if reduction has made it too tight.
Nutrition per Serving
Calories: 560 kcal
Protein: 42 g
Carbohydrates: 22 g
Fat: 30 g
Saturated Fat: 10 g
Fiber: 3 g
Sugars: 12 g
Sodium: 690 mg
Cholesterol: 120 mg
Nutrition values are approximate and vary according to ingredient brands, trimming, reduction, and serving size.
Final Note
This braise should taste of pork and Sangiovese before it tastes of prune. The fruit, onions, herbs, and butter are there to deepen the meat rather than move the dish toward sweetness.
Patient browning, quiet braising, fat removal, and controlled reduction are the steps that transform a rich cut into a polished plate with a clean, concentrated sauce.
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