|
|
 |
| |
Some pig breeds, like the Tamworth, have a better flavour than others |
To market, to market, to buy a fat pig...
Clare Latimer gets behind the British pig farmer and prepares some tasty pork dishes
PIG farmers are having a terrible time at the moment because of the price rise in animal feed.
In the near future the price of pork will escalate and also become hard to find, as many farmers are stopping breeding pigs in Britain. Soon you may only be able to buy foreign pork which, on a whole, I am not in favour of due to their welfare.
Therefore we should support the British pig farmers, so here are some temptations for you to cook.
There is more variety in pork than any other meat – you have the roast with the crisp crackling, sticky spare ribs, brawn, sausages and gammon – not to mention offal.
Also, be aware of the breed of pig that your butcher is using as some breeds have better flavour than others – such as Tamworth and Gloucester Old Spot – and hopefully they will have been reared free range.
Sausage roll
A homemade sausage roll is something that has been forgotten about but when we serve them in the shop everyone loves them.
We have one client, who will remain anonymous, who cannot help taking a few of our smaller sausage rolls off our serving table while we get him a takeaway lunch.
Ask your butcher to mince the pork meat, or if you’re stuck you can always just take the meat out of some sausages.
Ingredients
Serves 4-6
500g lean pork, finely minced
125g white
breadcrumbs
Little freshly grated nutmeg
Little sage, finely chopped
Little thyme, finely chopped
Little oregano, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pack puff pastry
1 egg, beaten.
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/ 400F/gas 6.
Put the pork meat into a bowl and add all the other ingredients except the pastry and mix well using your hands.
Roll out the pasty into a long rectangle and then roll the pork mixture with your hands into a long sausage and lay it down the middle of the pastry.
Wet the edges of the pastry and then wrap up the sausage meat and pinch the edges of the pastry to seal. Trim the edges and brush with the egg. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the meat is cooked through. Serve warm.
Papillotte pork
The word papillotte means parcel and this is a very good way of cooking as it keeps all the flavours in and also keeps the meat very moist and juicy.
Make sure you have some baking paper or foil for this dish. I would serve these parcels on a bed of rice with some purple sprouting broccoli.
Ingredients
Serves 4
2 small pork fillets
20g butter
1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
Handful parsley, chopped
1 teasp rosemary, chopped very finely
Salt and freshly ground pepper
125g oyster mushrooms
1 tbsp crème fraiche
Freshly grated nutmeg.
Method
Cut out the paper parcels in an oval shape 25cm by 15cm approximately.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6.
Cut the tenderloins in half and then make a slit lengthways in each half without cutting right through.
Heat the butter in a frying pan and add the onion and cook gently for about three minutes or until the onion is soft.
Add the herbs, seasoning and the mushrooms and continue to cook for a further three minutes. Lay out the papers and then place a fillet in each one.
Spoon the onion mixture into each slit and then spoon a quarter of the crème fraiche into each one.
Grate over some nutmeg and then wrap up tightly.
Place on a baking tray and cook for about 20 minutes or until the meat is cooked.
The juices will run and the meat looks firm but succulent. |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
