Easy recipes from Apple Tree

Tag: Pork

Jamaican Pork Curry

This is a variation on the better-know goat curry, but pork is easier to source in the UK. There may seem a lot of spices but it creates a rich, deep curry with some heat but not too much. This makes enough for 6 portions. I have provided Instant Pot and conventional hob versions.

  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • vegetable oil

Saute the onions gently until translucent.

  • 6 cloves of garlic, sliced

Add to the pan and cook for another minute.

  • 1 to 1.5kg pork shoulder, trimmed of fat and skin, cubed
  • 2 tsp ground allspice
  • 3 tbs curry powder
  • 1 tbs paprika
  • 1 tbs ground coriander
  • 1 tbs celery salt
  • 1 tbs garlic granules
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 4 spigs thyme, leaves only

Mix all together in the pan and cook briefly. Add

  • 1 can tomatoes
  • 1 Scotch Bonnet chilli, left whole but stabbed with a knife
  • Instant Pot – 1 can water; stove top – 1 litre water

Instant pot: cook on Meat for 45 minutes then depressurise naturally. Cooker: simmer on the lowest ring for 2.5 to 3 hours, checking it hasn’t dried out.

Instant pot – when ready, you may find it is still runny and the fat has rendered. Let it settle for a few mintues and scoop or pour the fat away. Mix 0.5tbs cornflower with a dash of water and stir in. Reheat to thicken. You can do this with the stove version if it hasn’t reduced.

Serve with Rice’n’Beans or just rice.

Arroz al Horno (baked rice)

A meany, beany paella really, and pretty good. Quick, easy and cheap. Ticks all the boxes there!

Quantities serve 4,  easily scaled up or down. You will need a large stove-top-to-oven pan, I used my largest le Creuset casserole dish.

  • 4 lean pork belly strips, halved
  • olive oil

Sear in your pan until they are brown and crispy each side. Remove.

  • 2 slices black pudding, cubed
  • 4 thick slices bacon, cut into lardons

Fry in the same oil until coloured. Remove.

  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 red pepper, sliced

Fry in the same oil (add more if you need to) until soft.

  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped

Fry a bit more.

  • 1 tomato, chopped

Fry until it breaks down. You could use tinned actually, if you have a use for the remainder of the tin.

  • Tin of butter beans or canellini beans
  • Sprig of fresh thyme or rosemary, chopped
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp  dried chilli flakes

Stir in. Add back your nicely browned meaty things.

  • 200g paella rice

Stir in.

  • 525 ml chicken stock

Add to the pan. Heat to bubbling then put in an oven at 200C/180C Fan. Leave 20 minutes and then have a peek. If the rice isn’t soft or there is too much liquid, leave another 5.

Serve with lemon to squeeze over if you like. Our home-made bacon is quite salty so it didn’t need more. You may need to adjust the seasoning.

 

 

 

Summer Meatballs

A lighter take on the meatballs classic, perfect for summer. Serves 2:

  • 1 courgette

Peel the outer into ribbons, grate the centre. Put to one side

  • One onion finely chopped
  • Olive oil

Fry gently until soft. Add

  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds

Fry 2 minutes more. Tip into a bowl, add

  • 250g pork mince
  • Grated courgetter
  • salt and pepper
  • Chopped parsely

Mix and form into 10-12 balls. Add to the pan, with a bit more oil if required, and fry until cooked. Meanwhile, cook

  • 200g spaghetti until just al dente

Scoop the pasta into the meatball pan. Add a splash of cooking water and the courgette ribbons. Heat gently and stir around to coat the pasta with the pan juices. Add more water if needed. Serve sprinkled with

  • zest and juice of half a lemon
  • grated parmesan
  • chopped parsley

 

Easy Pulled Pork

…with the One Pot!

  • Pork (leg or shoulder joint), cut into 2 inch cubes
  • Splash of oil

Brown on Saute setting. Add

Cook on Normal for 60 minutes. Let it de-pressurise naturally. Remove pork and shred. Put the liquid in a pan (remove any fat first) and reduce by half. Mix back into the pork and heat through. Serve on buns with sides (jacket potato, slaw, corn) and more Kansas BBQ Sauce.

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