Winter Flavors: Apple Juice Pork with Squash and Golden Raisins

For the last few months, I've been hearing about a small chain of grocery stores in Dayton called Dorothy Lane Markets. A week or two ago, I headed over to check it out. My friends had praised DLM for their great cuts of meat, so it sounded like a perfect place to get the pork for this recipe. The verdict?

The pork was great, but the prices were not. DLM is similar in feel to Whole Foods, but also carries some of the basic, processed American brands we all love. Best of both worlds, right? You'd think.. but with today's food prices rising every day, I couldn't justify doing a two-week shopping trip at DLM when I could get a lot of the same products elsewhere. I think it's a lovely place to get food for a special occasion, maybe a dinner for two.. but I won't be a regular.

As for this recipe, it was a hit in the Herr house. Nick loves the combination of fruit and meat (who doesn't?) and I was intrigued by the squash component. It's an almost one-pot dish (you have to removed the pork after searing and finish it in the oven) where the flavors of apple, butternut squash, onion and golden raisins get to meld together. The sauce was sweet and tart, creating a nice balanced flavor.

Find the recipe here.