Tag: Pork

Categories
MAIN COURSE

Marinated belly pork “sous vide”


“Sous-vide”-cooking is a method used to cook food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath for longer than normal cooking times, sometimes as long as 72 hours, at a regulated temperature much lower than normally used for cooking. The intention is to cook the item (mostly tough cuts of meat) evenly, preventing the food from overcooking whilst keeping it juicy, succulent and tender.

PORK BELLY

For the pork:
1 kg/2 lb pork belly, without bone
300 ml pork stock
2 tablespoons/30 ml vegetable oil

The marinade:
1 stalk lemongrass, hard outside removed, the core finely chopped
1 teaspoon/5 ml white pepper, freshly ground
2 teaspoons/10 ml Chinese five-spice powder (mix your own)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons/10 ml fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Kosher salt
1-2 red chilies, seeds removed, finely chopped

  • For the marinade, mix the lemongrass, spices, garlic, ginger, salt and red chilies together in a small bowl, then rub the marinade into the pork belly all round.  Cover with cling film and marinate for at least two hours, or up to 12 hours, in the fridge.
  • Preheat the oven to 100ºC/212ºF.
  • Place the marinated pork in a food grade plastic bag and pour in the stock.
  • Seal the bag in the vacuum packing machine.
  • Meanwhile heat water in the ovenproof  basking dish to the same temperature as you have set the oven.
  • Carefully lower the sealed bag into the hot water and make sure the bag is totally covered with the water.
A good idea is to put a circle of greaseproof paper with a small hole in the middle, on top of the meat before you secure the lid on.
  • Place the baking dish in the oven and set your timer for 3 hours.
  • When the cooking time is up, carefully remove the bag from the hot water with tongs and place in a deep dish.
  • Cut the bag open and let the meat and juices slide out of the bag into the dish.
  • Pour out the sauce in a saucepan.
  • Press the meat between two baking trays with a weight on top to flatten the skin and place in the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours.
  • Just before serving set the oven to grill and place the pork belly, skin side up, about 30 cm/12 in from the grill.
Keep an eye on the skin as it can burn in an instant.
The sauce will have all the flavors of the marinade as well as the meat. 

 

Categories
SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Mixed mushroom soup with cream, chives and truffle oil


If you are fortunate enough to have fresh truffle or preserved truffle, add a teaspoon or two to the soup after it has been cooked.  If you cannot get hold of any form of truffle, do not deprive yourself from having this soup.  It is delicious!
BLOCK HORIZONTAL LINE

Serves 4

MUSHROOM SOUP

The soup:
40 g/1½ oz butter
1 medium shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons/30 ml bacon, finely chopped (ignore if you want to keep it vegetarian)
400 g/14 oz mixed fresh mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon/15 ml porcini powder
4 cups/500 ml chicken stock, heated (or vegetable stock)
4 cups/500 ml mushroom stock, heated
1 tablespoon/15 ml Za’atar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon/15 ml lemon juice

The garnish:
1 tablespoon/15 ml chives, finely chopped
1 tablespoon/15 ml chive oil
1 tablespoon/15 ml truffle oil
⅔ cup/160 ml yogurt cream

In a deep saucepan, heat the butter and sauté the bacon until soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.  In the same saucepan, add the shallot and garlic and sauté until soft.  Add the mushrooms and cook until most of the juices have evaporated. Add the chicken stock and mushroom stock and bring back to the boil, then lower to a simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Pour into a liquidizer, add the fried bacon and lemon and blend until smooth.  Pass through a sieve if you wish, otherwise leave as is with a bit of a texture.  Check the seasoning.

To serve:
Ladle into four soup plates, sprinkle the chives or drizzle lightly with chive oil, then drizzle the truffle oil around,  and lastly place a dollop of the yogurt cream on top.  Serve immediately.

Categories
STARTERS/SIDES

Pork spring rolls with Oriental dipping sauce


It is important to serve the spring rolls immediately after cooked and drained, as the vegetable filling can cause the crispy wrappers to go soggy if it sits for a while.

PORK SPRING ROLLSServes 4

The filling for these spring rolls can be made from leftover Crispy pork belly or any leftover meat from the pork dishes on this blog.

The pork spring rolls:
250 g/9 oz free-range pork, minced
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons cabbage, julienned
2 tablespoons carrot, julienned
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh bean sprouts
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon oyster sauce (available at well-stocked supermarkets)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoonl chilli sauce (available at well-stocked supermarkets)
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
12 spring roll wrappers (available at well-stocked supermarkets)
vegetable oil for deep frying

See Safety and practical tips for deep frying

 

The dipping sauce:
½ teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon mirin (available at well-stocked supermarkets)
black pepper to taste

The garnish:
a mixture of coriander leaves, finely sliced spring onions, sliced basil
eaves, garlic chives, etc.

  • Heat the oil in a saucepan and lightly fry the pork until golden brown.  Remove from the heat, drain and set aside to cool.
  • In a bowl, mix together the pork, cabbage, carrot, spring onions, coriander, bean sprouts, sesame oil, oyster sauce, ginger, garlic and chilli sauce.
  • Place approximately one tablespoon of the pork mixture in the corner of each spring roll wrapper, and roll the wrapper, folding the edges inward to close.
  • Brush the edges of the wrapper with the cornstarch mixture and seal.
  • Heat the oil to 180° C/350° F and deep-fry the spring rolls in batches until golden brown.  Drain on kitchen paper.
  • In a small mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients well, cover and refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend.