Last sunday we had one of those lovely family get togethers that sunday lunch is made for. Three generations, two grandmas and all our lot bar Gus.
One of the best joints to cook for such an occasion is, in my opinion, a loin of pork .... or to be more precise a boned, scored rib end loin of pork.
You need a butcher to do this for you ... ask him for the following
A boned rib-end loin of pork weighing about 6-7lb (it's about half the loin) then ask him to score the skin well and cut between the meat and the skin leaving a flap (you're going to put stuff underneath) also ask him to give you some of his string so that you can tie it yourself. and make sure you get the bones.
Ingredients
4tbs fennel seeds
10 cloves garlic
3tbs maldon salt flakes (not fine table salt you'll kill yourself!)
a handful of chopped root veg (carrot, parsnip etc)
Juice of 1 lemon
3tbs olive oil
half glass of red wine
250 ml of vegetable stock (marigold is good)
method
pre heat oven to 220 degrees
bash up fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar. Then bash the garlic cloves into the mixture so that you have a kind of paste. Now add the salt and mix together.
Now spread this mixture under the flap of skin and into the underside of the meat.
tie in about four places so that the joint holds together.Rub the skin with a teaspoon ... yes a teaspoon, of oil, you just want the merest hint of a sheen.
Place the bones and root veg in the bottom of the roasting pan. You are going to roast the meat ddirectly on these so just make sure you have enough to keep the meat off the base of the pan otherwise it will burn. drizzle with a genorous glug of olive oil.and a season lightly with salt and pepper.
Now here's the maths part. allow 15 minutes per pound total cooking time so for 7lbs this equals I hr 45 mins.
Put into the oven on 220 until the skin blisters and starts to turn to crackling it should take between 25 - 40 mins depending on your oven.
Now turn the heat down to 160 and roast for the remainder of the time.
Mix the olive oil and the lemon juice and turn the joint over and baste with this mixture twice during cooking. Remember to turn it skin side up again before you return it to the oven!
after the time is up you should have magnificent crackling and juicy meat.
At the end of cooking take the joint out and rest it whilst you make the gravy.
Take the roasting pan put it on the hob and take out the bones. skim off some of the fat, heat on a high heat and when it's bubbling add the wine and keep the heat very high so that the alcohol evaporates.keep stirring and now add the stock and heat on a high heat for a further two or three minutes. Get a masher and smash the root veg down so they break up a bit and thicken the gravy. Put a strainer over a gravy jug, and pour through mashing the veg as you go ( you could even pour the whole lot into the jug and give it a whizz with a stick blender if you like your gravy a bit thicker)
Take the crackling off of the joint and break up into genorous pieces it should be easy if it has been well scored. Carve the meat into genorous slices and serve with the veg ... I would recommend roast potatoes, smashed celeriac, and courgettes or green beans whatever takes your fancy.
With it we had a rather nice bottle of Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova 2002 Brunello di Montalcino from Watrose and a very nice time
One of the best joints to cook for such an occasion is, in my opinion, a loin of pork .... or to be more precise a boned, scored rib end loin of pork.
You need a butcher to do this for you ... ask him for the following
A boned rib-end loin of pork weighing about 6-7lb (it's about half the loin) then ask him to score the skin well and cut between the meat and the skin leaving a flap (you're going to put stuff underneath) also ask him to give you some of his string so that you can tie it yourself. and make sure you get the bones.
Ingredients
4tbs fennel seeds
10 cloves garlic
3tbs maldon salt flakes (not fine table salt you'll kill yourself!)
a handful of chopped root veg (carrot, parsnip etc)
Juice of 1 lemon
3tbs olive oil
half glass of red wine
250 ml of vegetable stock (marigold is good)
method
pre heat oven to 220 degrees
bash up fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar. Then bash the garlic cloves into the mixture so that you have a kind of paste. Now add the salt and mix together.
Now spread this mixture under the flap of skin and into the underside of the meat.
tie in about four places so that the joint holds together.Rub the skin with a teaspoon ... yes a teaspoon, of oil, you just want the merest hint of a sheen.
Place the bones and root veg in the bottom of the roasting pan. You are going to roast the meat ddirectly on these so just make sure you have enough to keep the meat off the base of the pan otherwise it will burn. drizzle with a genorous glug of olive oil.and a season lightly with salt and pepper.
Now here's the maths part. allow 15 minutes per pound total cooking time so for 7lbs this equals I hr 45 mins.
Put into the oven on 220 until the skin blisters and starts to turn to crackling it should take between 25 - 40 mins depending on your oven.
Now turn the heat down to 160 and roast for the remainder of the time.
Mix the olive oil and the lemon juice and turn the joint over and baste with this mixture twice during cooking. Remember to turn it skin side up again before you return it to the oven!
after the time is up you should have magnificent crackling and juicy meat.
At the end of cooking take the joint out and rest it whilst you make the gravy.
Take the roasting pan put it on the hob and take out the bones. skim off some of the fat, heat on a high heat and when it's bubbling add the wine and keep the heat very high so that the alcohol evaporates.keep stirring and now add the stock and heat on a high heat for a further two or three minutes. Get a masher and smash the root veg down so they break up a bit and thicken the gravy. Put a strainer over a gravy jug, and pour through mashing the veg as you go ( you could even pour the whole lot into the jug and give it a whizz with a stick blender if you like your gravy a bit thicker)
Take the crackling off of the joint and break up into genorous pieces it should be easy if it has been well scored. Carve the meat into genorous slices and serve with the veg ... I would recommend roast potatoes, smashed celeriac, and courgettes or green beans whatever takes your fancy.
With it we had a rather nice bottle of Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova 2002 Brunello di Montalcino from Watrose and a very nice time
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