25 February 2012

How to cook our pork - the basics


Most of the feedback we’re getting about our pork is that people agree with us – it’s the most succulent and flavoursome pork they’ve ever tasted. A couple have told us that it was slightly chewy. Talking to chef Sam Adamson at her new café Ilk at Rosevears confirms our suspicions – it’s all in the way you cook it!


Roasts  
Most important is to keep the moisture in the meat. That means cooking it long and slow. For roasts, cook for at least two hours in a low oven, around 150⁰. You also need to give it a blast of half an hour at a high heat, around 220⁰ to get the crackling crisped up. You can do this either at the beginning or the end – or both.

A chef’s tip from Sam – take the crackling off at the end and finish it under the grill while the meat is resting.



Chops
If time is of the essence and you want to simply grill or barbecue some chops, use a marinade to tenderise the meat before you cook it. Jamie Oliver’s books have a selection of marinades and rubs using readily available spices and herbs, some of which you’ve probably got growing in the yard.  

And for the most melting, succulent pork of all, you can’t do better than a casserole. This is my personal favourite way of cooking our pork.

You will need:
Loin or forequarter chops
Flour seasoned with salt and pepper
Dry white wine
Veg or chicken stock
Bay leaf, a little thyme
                                                                                                                                                                                       
Dredge the pork in the seasoned flour and sizzle briefly in an oven proof casserole.
This gets the juices on the outside caramelising and creates a layer of flavour.
Add the wine and allow it to deglaze the pot.
Cook it for a moment so the alcohol cooks off leaving the flavour of the grapes.
Add the stock, bay leaf and thyme and get it simmering. Now it’s ready for the oven.

Put it on a low heat, around 140⁰ and cook it long and slow,
an hour and a half to two hours is perfect.
You should find that the fat has released its delicious flavour into the sauce
and the meat is incredibly tender.

Serve with garden greens and new or mashed potatoes.


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