Pork with quinces

Serves 6
2 hours
1.25-1.5 kilo pork shoulder boned
550 gms quinces 2 fairly large ones
2 red onions halved and thickly sliced
1 or 2 medium chillies seeded and cut into strips 4 fat cloves of garlic
3 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons olive oil
60gm demerara sugar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
100ml (3 & 1/2oz) white wine
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 180C. If the shoulder has been rolled remove the string. Using a sharp knife make criss-cross slashes about 2 – 3 cm apart in the skin. Grease a baking dish lightly. Lay the pork in it, skin upwards.

Peel the quinces then quarter and core. Cut each quarter into 2 or 3 slices depending on size. Tumble the quince slices, onion, chillies, garlic, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks around the pork. Mix the oil, sugars, vinegar, wine, salt and pepper and spoon over the pork, quinces and onions. Cover with silver foil and slide into the oven. Roast for 1 hour, remove the foil and baste both pork and quinces and onions with their own juices. Return to the oven uncovered for a further hour, basting occasionally.

When the pork is very tender and the quinces are soft as butter turn off the oven. Prop the door ajar and leave to rest for 10 -20 minutes before carving and serving.