Seasonal local food recipe No.372 – Pork stew with savoy cabbage and a smoked cheese crust
We had this tasty stew for tea on Friday, using the Savoy cabbage in this week’s veg boxes. It’s from TV chef Tom Kerridge’s Dopamine Diet. As I am not a fan of smoked food we used ordinary cheddar cheese for the crust. It has a lovely liquor, delicious spooned over mashed potato.
Serves 4-6
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients
vegetable oil
1kg shoulder of pork, skin removed and cut into 3 cm cubes
200g pancetta, diced
2 onions, halved and sliced
10 garlic cloves, grated
2 chicken stock cubes
200ml white wine
2 tsp cracked black pepper
A bunch of rosemary (about 6-8 sprigs), tied together with kitchen string
400ml chicken stock
3 tbsp medium-hot German mustard
1 Savoy cabbage, cored and finely sliced
2 x 70g packets of pork scratchings, packets bashed to coarsely crush
6 tbsp dried onion flakes
3 tbsp thyme leaves
250g smoked cheese, grated
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Set a large, lidded heavy flameproof casserole over a medium heat. Add a little oil and saute the pork in batches until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on kitchen paper.
Add the pancetta to the casserole and fry until it has rendered plenty of its fat and is lightly browned. Reduce the heat slightly and add the onions and garlic. Sweat gently, stirring occasionally for about 10-15 minutes until softened. Crumble in the stock cubes, then add the wine and cracked black pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer until the liquor is reduced down to a rich glaze.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 150°C/Gas mark 2. Return the pork to the casserole, add the herb bundle and pour on the stock. Bring to the boil, put the lid on and cook in the oven for 2 hours.
Stir in the mustard and some salt and pepper. Spread the sliced cabbage over the pork. Cover and cook in the oven for a further 45 minutes. Remove the lid and return to the oven for a further 15-20 minutes to reduce the liquor.
In a small bowl, mix the pork scratchings with the onion flakes and thyme leaves. Scatter the cheese over the casserole, followed by the crunchy pork mixture. Return to the oven for a further 25-30 minutes. Leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving.
