by Elaine Lemm from More Than Yorkshire Puddings: Food, Stories and Over 100 Recipes from God’s Own County
Pork is such a wonderful meat, and one of my cooking methods is braising. This braised pork recipe combines the pork with rhubarb, a delicious accompaniment to any fatty meat. This pork recipe produces lots of juices with make a lovely sauce.
My other love of this braised pork recipe is its versatility. The cooked pork is delicious served with vegetables; the cold pork is lovely, pulled from the bone and made into a salad or a cold, spicy pork sandwich.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1.5kg pork shoulder, on the bone
4 large shallots, peeled
6 garlic cloves, peeled
5cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 red chillies
500ml dry cider
500g rhubarb trimmed weight
1 teaspoon ice-cold butter, chopped into tiny pieces
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C Fan/200C/Gas 6. Score the skin of the pork with a very sharp knife, then put it into a large, roomy roasting tray.
2. Put the shallots, garlic, ginger, honey, pepper and olive oil into a food processor and blitz to form a thick paste. Smear the paste all over the pork including the skin.
3. Snap the chillies in half and throw them into the roasting tray, and pour in the cider. Cover tightly with foil and roast for 2 hours.
4. Take the dish from the oven and raise the temperature to 220C Fan/240C/Gas 7. Cut the rhubarb into 7cm lengths and scatter into the sauce. Return to the over uncovered, cook for 20 mins.
5. Remove the pork from the oven and place it to one side to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Strain the pan juices through a fine sieve into a small saucepan. Keep the rhubarb to one side.
6. Place the sauce over a high heat and reduce by one third. Drop a few pieces of the ice-cold butter into the sauce, and over medium heat, shake until all the butter has melted, repeat until all the butter is used up and the sauce is glossy.
7. Slice the pork (it will not make neat slices, but don’t worry, this is quite a rustic dish), place on a serving plate topped with the rhubarb and serve with the sauce. The pork is also a lovely cold, pulled from the bone and made into a salad or sandwich.
