Posts Tagged ‘Pork’
Pork tenderloin with balsamic braised red spring onions
April 14th, 2011 | 
Author: Enjoy a touch of spring with our beautiful red spring onions…
Serves 2
300g pork tenderloin
4 red spring onions
balsamic condiment
extra virgin olive oil
large knob of butter
salt and freshly ground pepper
½ glass of Marsala + 1 dash
pinch of cinnamon
Slice the spring onions and fry in very little butter (just enough not to stick) on a low heat. Start adding the balsamic condiment diluted in water (1 part water 2 parts vinegar) little by little, making sure to recover the pan in-between.
Melt the remaining butter on a very hot pan, then seal the fillet on two sides, until the butter is absorbed. Then add the Marsala, and seal the remaining two sides. Turn the fillet every minute until all the Marsala is absorbed.
Season with salt and pepper and place in a hot oven (180*C) for 20 minutes.
In the meantime keep braising the onions, until all the liquid is absorbed. Add salt to taste and a pinch of cinnamon.
Slice the fillet and place on very hot plates, then place the onions on the side with the help of a chef’s ring (small).
Deglaze the pan with a dash of Marsala and pour over the meat.
Posted in 
Tags: 
Roasted pork belly with apple confit
This week it’s Bramley Apple Week! What better excuse to celebrate this Great British cooking apple than by making a superb apple confit and enjoying it with a lovely piece of pork sourced fresh from our local butcher, Moen and Sons….
1½ kg piece pork belly, scored
1 large golden onion, thickly sliced
3 large bramley apples, quartered and cored
2 tsp fennel seeds
500ml dry white wine
Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Cut the pork belly into 6 pieces, season each piece. Place the onion and apple in a shallow roasting tin and mix with olive oil and seasoning. Lay the pork pieces on top, sprinkle the skin with fennel seeds and put in the oven for 30 minutes to start off the crackling.
Pour the wine around the pork and turn the oven down to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.Cook for another 40 minutes or until the pork is tender. The apple should have broken down by now and the wine reduced. Take the pork out, if it hasn’t crackled as much as you would like, put it under a hot grill to crisp up but don’t let it burn.
Rest for 10 minutes. If the apple and onion mixture is still quite liquid, reduce it in a saucepan, add any juices that have run out of the pork as it rests. Taste and season. Serve the pork with the apple confit.
Pork belly with Bramley apple sauce
It’s the perfect time to enjoy some good British apples. Bramleys are tasting fantastic at the moment, so why not try them with a fine piece of pork belly?
800g pork belly
4 large parsnips, peeled and halved
1 knob of butter
2 bramley apples, peeled and chopped
1 splash of chicken stock
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 160C/gas 3. Score the skin of the belly with a sharp knife and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the parsnips on the base of an oven proof dish and place the pork on top.
Roast for three hours until the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a skewer and the crackling is golden-brown. Remove the meat from the oven, cover with aluminium foil and leave to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.
For the sauce: Heat the butter in a pan, add the chopped apples and cook until softened. Add a splash of chicken stock and cook until the sauce has reduced slightly and has thickened.
Carve the joint into thick slices. Serve the sauce with the roasted pork belly and parsnips.
Pressure Cooked Loin of Pork
Pressure cooking is not only a great time-saver but can even intensify the flavours of your meal. Try this delicious pork recipe – it’s finished off in the oven for that lovely roast flavour, but pressure cooked first to save you up to 40 minutes! Pressure cooking will also leave the meat beautifully tender. Find out more about pressure cooking here.
500gr apples (preferably renetta)
2 tbsp rum
1 onion
100gr smoked pancetta, diced
50cl vegetable stock
1 chilli
1 pork loin roast of around 1kg
extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp potato flour
salt
Sear the joint on all sides in the pot with some oil and the diced pancetta.
Add the sliced apples, the rum, the sliced onion, the chilli and the stock.
Close the pot, bring to the boil (until the valve whistles). Then reduce heat to minimum and cook for 40 minutes.
Remove the joint, leave to cool, slice and place in an oven dish.
Blitz the sauce with a blender adding the potato flour, then pour the sauce on the meat.
Finish in the oven at 180C for 20 minutes.
Breed Top Trumps: American Saddleback Pig
For those who were 70s and 80s kids, the universally-popular card game ‘top trumps’ will still linger in the nostalgic mind. Memories of beating your brother, sister and friends with your favourite fast car or dinosaur provided boundless fun, however, not forgetting the enjoyable education that was acquired at the same time.
So, here at Natoora we thought it would be as insightful as amusing for us to adapt this treasured pastime by incorporating some of the select meats that we sell – sharing our expertise so you can become victorious in breed top trumps!
This month we will focus on the American Saddleback Pig; showing you the key features from how much they cost, to what these particular pigs like to eat.
The American Saddleback was first recognised as the Wessex Saddleback in 1918, along with the Essex, later amalgamating to the British Saddleback in 1967. It is reputed that when the two breeds coexisted, the Essex was regarded the gent’s pig, whereas the Wessex was more the farmer’s choice. The Essex had the distinguished edge and was widely accepted to be the fancy breed.
However, it was from the stock of the Wessex breed that eventually made its way to America; producing the American Hampshire breed, or more commonly known today as the American Saddleback.
Specification:
Max Weight (pounds) 250
Max Engine capacity (food consumption) 2 times its own body weight
Max cost when new (£) 350
Miles per gallon (mpg) n/a
Health (good to poor) Good (they eat fruit and vegetables)
Farm yard factor 90%
Although an American, this pig is fully aware of its British roots!
Now that you’ve won this round of top trumps, why not see our extensive selection of Free Range Pork to celebrate your victory in true quality fashion!
Next month: Welsh Mountain Sheep
In the Spotlight Choice Cuts: Pork
When it comes to the meat we sell, we like to know everything there is to know about it. We pride ourselves on providing the best cuts of pork both for flavour and quality, and if you share our passion for all things pork, you might be interested to know exactly where these amazing cuts come from. So, every month we will highlight the various edible parts from our select animals, and more specifically, how best to prepare and cook them.
We’re clearly not the only pork lovers about. Did you know that around 803,000 tonnes of British pork is devoured each year? And, nearly 60 per cent of the bacon we eat is imported from countries like Holland and Denmark? Here at Natoora we love British pork, raised in good conditions. Our expert butcher Moen and Sons share our belief in quality, so here is our breakdown of the finest pork choice cuts that comes from all our pigs.
Pork Cuts
Chops
The great thing about pork chops are their versatility. You can easily prepare any number of dishes, for an affordable price. Our Pork Chops are perfect for a good grilling. Although the BBQ season is almost over, now’s the time to make the most of your grill!
Belly
This is probably one of the most underated pork cuts. Whether you add a honey based marinade, or simple season with salt, pepper and olive oil, our Pork Belly will certainly ensure a successful dinner party, or romantic night in!
Loin
Our Pork Loin comes in a variety of cuts, but all share one thing in common: tenderness. The beauty about pork loin is it can be cooked quickly or slowly oven baked, so what ever the occasion or timescales, you know it will always taste great!
Diced
If you’re a fan of casseroles and stir fries, then our Diced Pork cuts will definitely give these dishes added succulence and quality. Often derived from the hand, neck or leg, diced pork is inexpensive and versatile.
Buy pork online today from Natoora and Moen and Sons to enjoy these choice cuts!
Pork Chops with Cavolo Nero
Serves 4
400g Cavolo Nero
4 Pork Chops
4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Cloves of Garlic
180ml Dry Red Wine
Salt and Pepper
2 tbsp Chopped Parsley
Sage Leaves
Rinse the Cavolo Nero under cold running water, then roughly chop. Boil in salty water for 20 minutes, then drain well. Heat the extra virgin olive oil and gently fry the crushed garlic until golden. Now the garlic has done its work in flavouring the oil, you can discard it.
Now add the 4 pork chops to the pan, pour in 180ml dry red wine and season with salt, pepper and sage. Simmer until the wine has evaporated. Remove the chops from the pan and keep warm in the oven.
Add the Cavolo Nero to the pan, along with the chopped parsley, a couple of sprigs of sage and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring all the time.
Eat the Seasons: Autumn
It’s finally time to enjoy the rich delights of Autumn. Whilst some may be mourning the end of Summer, at Natoora we’re celebrating the beginning of Autumn with some amazing September flavours. With luscious Muscat and Chasselas grapes, crunchy William’s Pears, and juicy red currants, the transition from Summer to Autumn is sure to be a sweet one. There’s also a bounty of earthy flavours to enjoy with fresh mushrooms, pumpkins and chestnuts. In case you need some persuading to join the celebrations, we have a delicious offer this month. When you order any of our Autumn Picks, we’ll give you a very tasty 20% off your whole shopping basket! Simply enter the code “AUTUMNFRESH” at the checkout and make sure your basket is over £60 (Offer expires 7th October). Does September get yummier any than that?
Our Autumn Picks
Black Cabbage (Cavolo Nero)
Quince
Prickly Pork
No, I’m not talking about a new porcine weapon, rather an unusual dish made with two outstanding ingredients. It may sound scary, but the mix of organic pork and fresh prickly pears is a real treat. Pork has always loved fruit like apricots and apples, but it can also take the more unusual flavour of prickly pear. Prickly pears and pork; a match made in both culinary and alliterative heaven!
Diced Pork with Prickly Pear (serves 4)
4-6 Prickly Pears
500g Diced Pork
2 Small Shallots
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Sichaun Peppercorns
First prepare the prickly pears. These will already have the spikes removed so slice off the top and bottom, then score a line down the side of the pear. Slip your finger into the slice and grab the skin. Peel away the skin and dice the rest of the pear.
Now fry the thinly sliced shallots in olive oil. Add the diced pears and stir gently. Now add the peppercorns, followed by the diced pork and mix. At Natoora we get all our pork from our expert butcher Jack O’Shea, so we can guarentee it is all from organic Dorset pigs. Give the dish a splash of balsamic vinegar for extra flavour and cover for 2 minutes. Once the pork is cooked, serve and enjoy!