Slow Roasted Asian Spiced Pork

Thank God for the breeders of good pigs! When experts who really know what they are doing produce livestock by rearing animals in humane and excellent conditions, you get meat which tastes amazing. 

The ensuing meal was succulent and full of flavour; I did very little, introduced some exotic spices and a long, slow roast.  It was that  easy......

This recipe feeds 8 comfortably

• 3kilo boned and rolled shoulder of fabulous pork
• 6 cloves garlic
• Some ginger
• 2 red chili
• 2 star anise
• Cinamon stick
• 2 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
• 2 tBsp Shoyu 
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Some coriander leaves

Method.

Mix all the spices together and marinade the joint preferably overnight.

1. Preheat the oven to 220C.
   
2. Place the marinaded joint in oven for 30 minutes
3. Turn down to 140C for 4 - 5 hours.  
4. Allow to rest covered with foil.
5. To make a sauce, pour off the fat and add some Chinese cooking wine to the pan and bring to the boil, adjust the seasoning with shoyu and some honey and finish with coriander.
6. The meat will be falling apart very easily, you should be able to carve with a fork.
7. Serve with rice or noodles and  some stir fried veg.

Ham and Pea Soup

This is a classic peasant, rustic dish which is nourishing and comforting.  Both my mother and Irish Grandmother made this,  my mum said in the 60's the butcher gave hocks away.  I love the ritual of this soup as much as the end result.  Although it may seem a dish for the colder months, it still hits the spot throughout the year.

The good thing about this soup is that you must go to a butcher or a farmers market to buy your hock, or shank.  Thus supporting our British pork industry.  Especially those who rear rare native breads.   I buy mine from Sillfield  Farm at Borough Market, where you can buy a sizeable hock for £2.95.  This is one of the cheapest cuts you can buy.  The soup is dead simple and simmers away for hours on a low heat making the home smell lovely.  

Here goes.

This will serve a really good 6 portions.

• One ham hock (smoked or unsmoked)
• one large onion peeled and chopped
• 2 sticks of celery chopped small
• 1 leek (ideally, but not essential) cleaned and chopped
• 3 medium carrots chopped small
• bayleaf, sprig of thyme, handful of parsley stalks and all (any variation or all of them)
• 300gms green marrowfat peas (I used green, but yellow are also lovely)
• water and seasoning
• Sunflower oil

1. Place the hock in water and bring to the boil and then discard the water.
2. Fry the onion, carrot, celery, leek with the fresh herbs in oil for 5 minutes or so.
3. Plonk the hock and peas in and add water so that the hock is just covered.
4. Bring to the boil and simmer for at least 2 and half hours.  You want the the peas to be soft and mushy.
5. Remove the hock and allow to cool.  When cool enough to handle remove all the meat, shredding with your fingers.  Add to the pot and season to taste.  Be careful with the salt if you have used a cured hock.  
6. Add some fresh parsley as you serve and some lovely rustic bread.  Also a jacket potato and lashings of butter will make this a fine meal.

Thank you to Anne Carter for beautiful photography.

Wild Boar & Puy Lentil Casserole

Display at Sillfield Farm Stall at Borough Market

Well it's Friday and my forage at Borough today was a particular delight. It always is, but today the sun shone and spring was definitely in the air.

This dish is so hearty and full of strong earthy deep flavours.

At Sillfield Farm I was inspired by the wild boar sausages. Feeling the chill in the air by the afternoon I felt something warming and robust was what the doctor ordered.

This dish is so hearty and full of strong earthy deep flavours.

Wild Boar and Lentil Casserole

This will feed 4 very hungry people or definitely leave some left overs.

• 200gm puy lentils
• 500gm wild boar sausage
• 1 large onion
• 2 sticks celery diced
  
• 3 carrots diced
  
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
  
• 2 bay leaves, good sprig of thyme & a good handful of parsley
• 500ml chicken stock. Fresh is best, but a cube will suffice
  
• glass of red wine
• seasoning
• Some parsley for garnishing
  

Method

1. Portion the sausages by twisting and cutting into 2 bite sizes.
   
2. Fry the sausages to give some colour but not until cooked through and set aside.
3. Fry the onion in olive oil for a 5 minutes, until soft.
4. Add the celery and carrot.
   
5. Sauté for 5 minutes until soft and turning gold.
6. Add garlic.
7. Add the puy lentils and 500ml chicken stock with a glass or red wine.
   
8. Add herbs and season.
9. Bring to the boil and then simmer with the lid on for about 15 minutes.
10. Add the sauted sausges and replace lid and simmer for a further 20 minutes.
11. Add some fresh parsley 5 minutes before the end.
12. Check the lentils are cooked through and serve.
    

Serve with some sauted potatoes, or jacket potatoes and a seasonal green veg.