Slow roast chilli pork

This is an unbelievably simple recipe. You can use any cut of pork, but i would mainly recommend either leg or shoulder. Loin works well too, but be sure to get  loin joint that has plenty of marbling on the eye of the emat, and a reasonable amount of surrounding fat for flavour. Using fillet works well as an individual portion and absorbs flavour beautiful but I would recommend wrapping in bacon first for a salty edge that brings out the aromatics well on the palate. Be sure to adjust cooking times.

25G OF FENNEL SEEDS
25G OF DRIED CHILLI FLAKES
25G OF DRIED ORIGANO
25G OF ROSEMARY LEAVES
4KILO BONED AND ROLLED PORK SHOULDER SKINNLESS

Season the meat and seal in hot oil

Mix all of the dried herbs and spices

Roll the roasting pork in this mix

Turn down oven to 120c and slow roast for 3 hours

Hogs pudding & potato pie

The cooked pie mix here can be made in batch and divided and frozen, to be reheated whenever you need to. Since its already cooked you only have to warm it up, and add to a pie case. The shortcrust pastry is nice, but isnt set in stone. You cna use puff pastry if youlike to create more portable slices. You can even use a suet pastry and steam the little beggars in puddings.

SERVES 5

0.5 Kilo of new potatoes, scrubbed and sliced finely
4 onions thinly sliced
1 kilo of Hogs Pudding meat (can be obtained from local butchers - usually comprising various cuts). Failing this you can use a standard sausage meat for a more economy version.

Make 500g of short-crust pastry, roll into 10 cm discs then crimp, glaze and bake

Stew off the onions, once soft

Break up the Hogs pudding into the onion mix and cook out

Steam off the potato slices

Once the potatoes are soft add to the hogs pudding mix

Reheat the mix and place in dish to with baked lid top.

Bake in oven at about 180C until the pastry is golden brown.


Accompanied by either onion marmalade, jus lie, white onion sauce or Madeira sauce. A standard gravy will suffice also.

Barrel of pork fillet / caramelised apple / bed of braised red cabbage / pommes boulangeres & calvados sauce

Image provided courtesy of buddy-dubaibase.blogspot.co.uk

*part of the sizzling staffordshire menu series*

Alright, I know where you're coming from. It sounds complex, but this dish is remarkably simple. Combining the sweet elements from the sweet red cabbage and the caralemised apple, and complemented in texture and tone with the calvados sauce, the fillet or pork will sit very well alongside also the pommes boulangeres - a classic french dish that is wonderfully comforting.

Originally designed as a winter dish, this dish can also be incorporated up to late spring legitimately and year round with the availability of ingredients that we have today.It is quite cheap to produce (about 5-6GBP per head using supermarket prices) which makes it a great treat for the weekend. You can cut cost further by using pork chop or loin steaks or even shoulder steaks, bear in mind however the cooking time may vary.

You will need (serves 2):

Two thirds of a pork fillet, trimmed and cut into two portions.
6 Slices of pancetta
6 sage leaves
1 whole red cabbage (medium sized), de-stalked and chopped finely into strands
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 glass red wine
tsp olive oil
1 large measure of calvados, or regular brandy will do if needs must.
1 small onion very finely chopped.
tbsp butter
2 portions pommes boulangeres (as a side)
1 apple, halved and decored
tbsp honey.
150ml cream
tsp dijon mustard

The doing bit:

Prepare the pork: Take each pork portion and wrap with a slice of pancetta, tucking a sage leaf underneath each slice. Continue until each piece is wrapped with 3 slices and sage leaves. When cooking, in a pan add a little oil to coat the pan, and heat until almost smoking. Sear each side of the pork until coloured gently then place in a hot over 200C in the same pan for about 8-10 minutes until cooked. Add the apple halves flesh side down while searing the pork and then turn upside down when entering the oven.

For the cabbage (prepare in advance), in a pan add a little of the olive oil to coat the pan, heat and then add the cabbage until it turns bright purple. add the balsamic vinegar and allow to cook for about a minute.Sprinkle in a double pinch of sea salt, then add the red wine and bring to a simmer. Stir the cabbage and cover the pan stirring occasionally. Cook for about 30-40 mins or until cabbage has reached desired texture. Drain and set to one side to reheat where necessary.

Heat up the boulangeres and add a little milk where neccesary to retain moisture. Don't worry too much as boulangeres is a dish that can survive a while in the oven.

For the sauce, in a saucepan add the butter and the finely chopped onion, and cook until it begins to soften. Add the brandy and flame or reduce until alcohol has gone, then add the mustard, heat up slightly then add the cream. Reduce until thickened and season accordingly.

Assembly, begin with the pommes, boulangeres centre plate. Add the red cabbage on top gently. Carve the pork into 3 or 4 slices and sit this as the crowning glory on top of the cabbage. Caramelised apple to the side and decorate with the sauce around, and garnish with the honey.

Devour accordingly.

Pan seared pork cutlet / leeks in white wine & sage butter / bacon & cauliflower mash

Image courtesy of topnews.net

*part of the Sizzling Staffordshire menu series*

This dish (as the name suggests) is very appealing to the pork lover. That said the surrounding accompaniments to the dish also work phenomenally well too. A good year round dish, this will appeal to many kinds of palates, with an uplifting element of sage complemented by the hearty bacon and leek flavours which work well with all kinds of meat dishes. The cauliflower also helps the comfort food factor, giving a homely feel.

You will need (serves 2)

2 Pork steaks (either rib or loin. Pork chops are also ideal, and even bacon chops can be substituted)
3 large leeks, white sections chopped trimmed, and chopped into echelons.
2 portions sage butter
small glass dry white wine or vermouth
3 rashers smoked bacon (finely chopped)
1 good sized cauliflower, destalked and florets seperated into equal sizes
2 shallots, finely chopped

The doing bit:

For the caulifower mash:

In a saucepan half fill with water and bring to the boil. Add a pinch of salt and add the cauliflower. Bring to the boil once more then simmer until cauliflower has softened. Strain and mash whilst warm, then set to one side keeping warm if possible.. In a seperate pan sautee the bacon and shallots together until soft, then add the cauliflower. Use a whisk to help pound out the cauliflower mix further into a smooth puree. Add a little milk if required. Season with salt and pepper where necessary. If you wish add some finely chopped fresh parsley a few minutes before serving.

For the leeks:

In a large pan add half the sage butter, then add the leeks and saute with the lid on at a low - moderate heat until leeks are almost soft and bright green. Add the remaining butter, allow to melt, then add the white wine and reduce liquor by half. Keep warm on a low heat / serve.

For the pork:

Heat up a large frying pan add a little oil. Season the pork with salt and pepper each side, then sear at a very high temperature until both sides are coloured. Place in oven at 200C until cooked (preference permitting - some people enjoy a medium cooked pork). Remove from oven and serve ont he bed of leeks / butter and quenelle califlower mash to the side.Glaze the pork with any remaining pan juices.

Pork and pearl barley stew

Image courtesy of whole-grain-facts.com

This rich and hearty stew makes for perfect winter eating. You can use any meat really, although pork rabbit, chicken (thigh), lamb and turkey leg meat are best in supposition. The presence of fennel and pearl barley gives excellent medium for digestion and winter flavour, whilst having the aniseed edge to denote a clean aromatic flavour to accent the game flavours. The aniseed element also goes very well with pork.

Ingredients (serves 2, so adjust accordingly)

300g pork meat (shoudler, leg or belly), or turkey leg meat, or chicken thigh, or wild rabbit, cut into serving pieces.
2 tbsp vegetable oil
150g/5½oz pancetta
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small fennel bulb, sliced into 5mm/¼in thick slices
600ml/1 pint white wine, or sweet cider or even mead.
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 sprig rosemary
2 tbsp pearl barley

The doing bit.

Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the meat and fry for 3-4 minutes on both sides, or until golden-brown all over. Remove and set aside.

Add the pancetta to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes, then add the onion, garlic and the sliced fennel. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and the fennel is softened. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Return the meat to the pan together with the wine, tomato purée and the rosemary. If the meat is not completely covered with the liquid, top up with water. Bring to the boil, then stir in the pearl barley, cover and simmer for one hour and 15 minutes, or until the pearl barley is tender. General rule - the longer the better.

Pork Cobbler

image courtesy of gemini-dragon.com

For me cobbler dishes are the epitomy of winter food - the provide a very hearty meal experience, whilst also giving a comfort element. In particular this recipe provides maximum flavour through marinade and slow cooking, to give comforting texture and fully developed tones to leave you feeling comforted and fulfilled.

Provided specially for a Michael a good friend of mine, who will adore this recipe again and again.

Ingredients (serves 5)

For the marinade

4 Teaspoon of Crushed Black Peppercorns
1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon of dried Oregano
1 Teaspoon of dried thyme
7 Cloves of garlic halved
5 Tablespoon of soft brown sugar
2 Table spoon of olive oil
1.5 table spoon of white wine vinegar

Combine dry ingredients in a blender. Add the oil and vinegar gradually, once the other ingredients are combined

1k Diced Pork
100g of pitted olives
10 Sage leaves
15 prunes pitted
75g of unsalted butter
3 Large onions finely chopped
3 Large carrots diced
300ml of stout or guiness
450ml of chicken stock
200ml of double cream
150g of dried apricots soaked

For the Cobbler crust

200g self-raising flour
85g shredded suet
50g butter
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
beaten egg , to glaze

The doing bit

Coat the pork in the marinade and leave overnight

Remove the meat from the marinade and dry

Sauté off the onions, once coloured remove from the pan, then seal off the meat

Place the onions and meat in a large oven tray together with the stock, stout, carrots, prunes, sage and olives.

Braise for two hours

In the meantime prepare the cobbler crust:

sift the flour and season. Combine the suet, butter and parsley and lightly mix together. Make a well in the middle of the mix, then add the lemon zest and juice and gently bring together to make a soft dough. If it is too dry, add a little cold water or milk, but don't knead the dough or it will become tough.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 1/4in thickness. cut the dough into pieces the size of your dishes and set to one side,

Remove meat and most of the vegetables, blend the juices and strain add cream to the juices

Reduce the liquor by a third check the seasoning, glaze with butter

Combine with the meat and vegetables to this add the apricots  

Divide the mix into 5 pie dishes (or 4 if more appropriate). Top the dishes with the cobbler dough and brush with egg and milk mix. Return to oven at 180C until tops are golden brown and pork mix is piping hot.

Serve.

Stir fried sesame & ginger pork with roasted pepper & butternut squash (with balsamic glazed plum garnish)

It sounds a bit of a mouthful, and I apologise for that. But to leave out the features that this dish would present, I suppose would be a crime in itself. This dish presents I guess a fusion of influences, from the continental approach of the roast butternut squash and pepper, to the eastern influences of sesame, soy & ginger with plum for added sweetness. It's a colourful dish that spans the sweet and savoury barriers, and nutritionally is quite healthy also. Did I happen to mention its a hearty dish thats perfect for this time of year also? Oh and its phenomenally cheap (He smiles)

So knowing it ticks all the boxes for a hungry and adventurous palate, we begin.

Ingredients

(serves 2)

2 x pork loin steaks (tenderised and cut into strips). If you can get any other pork cheaply by all means do so - but bear in mind the tenderness etc. fattier cuts will take longer to cook.
1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 peppers cut into same proportions as squash - you choose the colour. I favour red and yellow ones for sweetness, but green ones can balance out the dish.
1 Plum, cut in half
1 clove of garlic, sliced
Soy sauce
sesame oil
1/2 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, grated
200g baby button mushrooms
Ground cinnamon
tbsp balsamic vinegar.

Preparation

Marinade the pork

In a suitable container combine the pork, ginger, a coating of sesame oil and a few lashings of soy sauce. Cover and allow to marinade for a couple of hours (the longer the better).

Preheat oven to 200C and on an oven tray add the peppers, plum (hole side up) and squash. Give a slight coating of olive oil and a very slight sprinkling of cinnamon. On the half of the plum divide the garlic and put in the hollow where the stone was. Drizzle plum with small amount of balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with a little salt and sugar.

Put in oven and check regulary - When the squash has coloured and begins to soften its almost there. If youre cooking this in advance for reheating later the time to take it out is now. Otherwise heat up your wok and add some sesame oil.

When the wok is blisteringly hot, add the mushrooms and cook for a minute. Add the pork and keep moving until cooked.

Remove pepper / squash mix from the oven and plate, adding pork and mushroom mixture on top. Garnish with balsamic plum on the side. Add a sprig of rosemary for theatrical effect if you wish.

Devour.

Pork Wellington with Redcurrant & Cranberry Sauce

The wellington is a very British dish, as its namesake suggests. A favourite of Sir Winston Churchill amongst others, this dish goes beyond the quaintness of "hearty" and borders of luxurious.

This recipe in particular takes the focus away from beef, and utilises pork instead. I've taken the focus away from expensive ingredients here, and am quietly confident you can feed two people here for less than £10 (shopping around may however be required).

Service thoughts: it goes with pretty much anything, vegetable wise. You can use any of the classic potato dishes also, as they each give a different focus and ideal to the dish when presented. Whether its the glorious fondant potato, dauphinoise, pommes dauphine, croquettes or even champ potato, you're going to enjoy this dish. I'll leave the accompaniment to you.

From a seasonal perspective I suppose its perfectly suited to winter, with the extra filling nature of wellington, the sweetness of "winter" fruits such as redcurrants and cranberries, and the earthy flavours of the pate and mushrooms utilised.

To create this mammoth dish you will need (serves 2)

Puff pastry (when bought from a shop you generally get what you pay for, but if ur on a budget any will do)
Chicken liver pate (you can get this quite cheaply)
1 pork fillet (if you are on a budget you can get the side of a loin by haggling a bit with the butcher)
About 10 chestnut or similar earthy flavour mushrooms. If a bunch of enoki are available, go for them.
2 shallots or 1 small red onion
Chopped fresh rosemary, sage and thyme. Its alot cheaper if you have them growing.
4 pancakes (savoury) (roughly 7in in diameter).. These are I suppose optional but they help the dish greatly. Its up to you.
25g butter for glazing.
1 beaten egg for glaze.
Salt & Pepper for seasoning.

Preparation:

Cut the pork fillet in half and remove any membranes and bits clinging to it. Discard any bitsor put to one side for stock use.

Take your puff pastry and roll out on a cool surface until about 1/2 cm thick. Divide into two equal pieces (these will wrap the fillet etc).

Spread pate on the pastry leaving about 3/4 in breathing gap on all edges.

Finely chop the onion and mushrooms into about 1/2 cm dice. Saute in a pan until soft, then fold in a small amount of butter and the chopped herbs and turn the heat down. When the onion and mushrooms have absorbed the butter take off the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Layer 1 pancakes on the area covered by the pate, then add the mushroom and onion mix in the same manner as the pastry. Add the last pancake on top of this.

Season with salt and pepper, then sear the pork fillet in a very hot pan until colour shown on all sides. We dont want to cook it fully, just enough for the latent heat to start work, and give a bit of caramelised flavour to the meat.

Allow the meat to rest for a minute or so then wrap the pastry / pancake affair around the meat into what appears to be a sausage roll. Seal the wrapped end with the eggand makes sure you do the same for the ends. One thing we dont want is leakage.

Glaze the ready to oven wellington with butter and the remaining egg. Place on greaseproofed oven tray and put in preheated oven (about 180C) until golden brown .

Devour, mercilessly.

For the sauce:

Handful of fresh cranberries
Tbsp redcurrant jelly
Small glass of red wine or port
tsp balsamic vinegar (white preferred)
1/2 cup of chicken stock.

Preparation:

Add the redcurrant jelly to a pan and allow to melt into a syrup. Add the cranberries and turn the heat down to a simmer. Once the cranberries have begun to soften, add the vinegar. Allow to cook for about a minute then add the wine. Reduce the liquor by half then add the stock. Reduce by half again and the sauce is ready.
Don't worry about the straining, the fruit here is a real feature.