Serves 6
Ingredients: The Meat and Gravy: 1 x 1.5kg / 3 lb 5oz (approx) joint of boneless pork with crackling; salt; 2 onions, cut into thick slices; 8 sage leaves; 1 tbsp flour; 500ml / 18fl oz chicken or vegetable stock
- Preheat the oven to 240oC/475oF/Gas Mark 9. Dry the meat thoroughly with a clean tea towel, and make sure the skin is thoroughly scored (a Stanley knife is ideal). Rub the meat thoroughly with the salt, massaging it into the slits in the skin.
- Make a raft for the meat in a lightly oiled roasting tin with the sliced onion, scatter the sage leaves on top and sit the meat on top of this, skin side up.
- Calculate the cooking time at 35 mins for every 500g / 1 lb 2oz.
- Roast for 30 min, then turn own down to 190oC/375oF/Gas Mark 5 and roast, undisturbed (no need to baste) for the remainder of the calculated time, or until the crackling is really crispy and the meat juices run clear when poked with a skewer or pointed knife. Remove the meat from the tin and leave to rest for at least 20 mins in a warm place before carving.
- Sift the flour into the fat and ‘debris’ in the roasting tin and cook, stirring, over a medium heat for a couple of min, scraping up any dark sticky bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer stirring continuously, for 4-5 mins or until the gravy is nicely thickened. Strain into a clean saucepan, discarding the solids, and reheat at the last minute, adjusting the seasoning as necessary.
The Potatoes: 1.5kg / 3lb 5oz old potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks; 100g / 3 1/2oz lard; Maldon salt
- Parboil the potatoes in boiling salted water for 10 min, then drain.
- Put the lard in a roasting tin and heat in the oven (on a shelf above the meat) for 10 mins. Add the potatoes, toss well to coat with fat and roast for the last 40 min of the meats cooking time.
- When you remove the meat from the oven, turn the oven up to full heat for the time the meat is resting, to crisp the potatoes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle at the last minute with Maldon salt.
The Cabbage: 25g / 1oz lard or goose fat; 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped; 1 large dessert apple, peeled, cored and chopped; 1 kg / 2 lb 4oz Savoy cabbage, finely shredded; 3 tbsp white wine or cider vinegar; 2 tbsp sugar; 1 bay leaf; salt and pepper to taste; 300ml / 1/2 pt chicken or vegetable stock.
- In a large, lidded saucepan, melt the lard (or heat the goose fat) and cook the onion over a medium heat until golden.
- Add all the remaining ingredients, mix well, bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for about 30 min or until the cabbage is tender.
Visit my shop to download this and 9 other Pork recipes in the Pork Volume 1 book. A recipe card is also available for download here.
If using delicata squash, peel it with a vegetable peeler, then cut it lengthwise in half, and scrape out the seeds. Cut each piece in half again lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Other squash should be peeled, seeded, cut into 1x 1/2 inch pieces. Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Add the sage and rosemary and cook until the butter just begins to turn color-3to5minutes.Add the squash to the skillet, then the apple cider, water, vinegar, and salt. Cook stirring occasionally, over medium heat at an even boil until the cider has boiled down to a glaze and the squash is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and season with pepper and additional salt if needed.