I have often said that pork is one of my favourite meats. It can take on so many different flavours. It is versatile and it is good value. Make sure to look out for the Bord Bia Quality Assured mark.
Today I have two enjoyable pork recipes. I have the crispy pork belly cooking in an air fryer, but it can, of course, also be cooked in a traditional oven. Just reduce the temperature to 170°C (325°F/Gas Mark 3) and cook for two and a half hours until meltingly tender.
Five spice powder and pork is one of those combinations made in heaven. And there is an excellent sweet and smoky seasoning in the Simply Better range. Mileeven, in Piltown, Co Kilkenny, run by mother and daughter, Eilis and Sarah Gough, has been an award-winning producer for many years. Recently, they have added a hot honey to the range. It can be drizzled on all sorts of meals and especially lovely on pizza.
The pork wrap is a nice summery meal and perfect with beans and rice. These casserole slices are a good-value cut from the shoulder. For the apple cider vinegar, I especially like Highbank Orchard in Co Kilkenny. I mentioned Sage in Midleton, Co Cork last week and they produce a hot honey ranch sauce, made with Irish honey, free-range eggs, west Cork buttermilk, sour cream and some chimchurri hot sauce. And do make sure your mango is ripe. If not, it needs a few days on the kitchen window.
Sweet and smoky pork wrap with rice and beans
Ingredients: Serves 4
2 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp sweet and smoky seasoning
1 pack Irish pork casserole slices
500ml chicken stock
Knob of butter
4 spring onions, finely chopped
(white and green kept separate)
1 fresh Irish red chilli, chopped
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
200g basmati rice, well rinsed
1 pack piadina bread
1 carton hot honey ranch
1 ripened mango, peeled and diced
(stone discarded)
1 tbsp chilli jam
Handful of fresh coriander leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Pour the vinegar and lime juice into a shallow dish that will fit into your air fryer. Sprinkle the sweet and smoky seasoning all over the pork and put it in the dish; then cover with clingfilm and
marinate for 1 hour or chill overnight.
2. Set the air fryer to 150°C (300°F). Pour 200ml of the stock into the pork mixture and cover with tin foil. Cook for 1 hour until the pork is tender.
3. When the pork is almost done, cook the rice and beans. Heat the butter in a heavy-based pan with a lid over a medium to high heat. Cook the white parts of the spring onions and chilli for about 3 minutes until softened. Add the rice and stir well. Pour in rest of the stock and a good pinch of salt, whisking to combine. Cover and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Lift the lid on the rice mixture, scatter over the green parts of the spring onions and kidney beans, then gently fork through. Cover again and leave undisturbed for another 10 minutes.
4. Drain the liquid from the pork and put it in a pan over a high heat to reduce down to 4 tbsp. Meanwhile, slice the pork into small chunks, then fold back in the reduced-down liquid. Warm the wraps on a non-stick dry frying pan for 20-30 seconds (or even better char on a gas flame) on each side.
5. Smear the wraps with the ranch, then divide the rice and beans among them and top with the pork. Scatter over the mango, a spoonful of the chilli jam and the coriander. Fold in the edges to wrap up and then wrap in tin foil to hold their shape. Cut each one in half and arrange on plates.
Crispy fragrant pork belly
Crispy fragrant pork belly. \ Philip Doyle
Ingredients: Serves 2
3 tbsp sea salt
3 tbsp hot honey
1 tbsp sweet and smoky seasoning
1 pack Irish pork belly slices
1 heaped tsp Chinese five spice powder
Achill sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper
Steamed jasmine rice, to serve
Green vegetables stir-fry, to serve
Method
1. First make a brine. Put 300ml of water in a large pan with the sea salt, honey and sweet and smoky seasoning. Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the honey and salt, then remove from the heat and leave to cool down to room temperature. Pour into a large, rigid container with a lid and add the pork belly – it needs to be fully immersed. Secure the lid and put in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight is best.
2. When ready to cook, allow the pork belly to come back to room temperature. Remove from the brine and lightly dust the meat part with the Chinese five spice powder. Make a small tray from tin foil, just large enough to hold the pork belly slices snugly, with the sides folded up so the juices don’t escape. Set the air fryer to 170°C (325°F) and put the tin foil tray with the pork belly in. Cook for 30 minutes until crispy and caramelised. Leave to rest for 5 minutes.
3. While the pork is resting, cook the rice and stir-fry vegetables. Divide the steamed jasmine rice and stir-fry the vegetables between the bowls and arrange two pieces of the pork belly on each one. Serve immediately.
I have often said that pork is one of my favourite meats. It can take on so many different flavours. It is versatile and it is good value. Make sure to look out for the Bord Bia Quality Assured mark.
Today I have two enjoyable pork recipes. I have the crispy pork belly cooking in an air fryer, but it can, of course, also be cooked in a traditional oven. Just reduce the temperature to 170°C (325°F/Gas Mark 3) and cook for two and a half hours until meltingly tender.
Five spice powder and pork is one of those combinations made in heaven. And there is an excellent sweet and smoky seasoning in the Simply Better range. Mileeven, in Piltown, Co Kilkenny, run by mother and daughter, Eilis and Sarah Gough, has been an award-winning producer for many years. Recently, they have added a hot honey to the range. It can be drizzled on all sorts of meals and especially lovely on pizza.
The pork wrap is a nice summery meal and perfect with beans and rice. These casserole slices are a good-value cut from the shoulder. For the apple cider vinegar, I especially like Highbank Orchard in Co Kilkenny. I mentioned Sage in Midleton, Co Cork last week and they produce a hot honey ranch sauce, made with Irish honey, free-range eggs, west Cork buttermilk, sour cream and some chimchurri hot sauce. And do make sure your mango is ripe. If not, it needs a few days on the kitchen window.
Sweet and smoky pork wrap with rice and beans
Ingredients: Serves 4
2 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp sweet and smoky seasoning
1 pack Irish pork casserole slices
500ml chicken stock
Knob of butter
4 spring onions, finely chopped
(white and green kept separate)
1 fresh Irish red chilli, chopped
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
200g basmati rice, well rinsed
1 pack piadina bread
1 carton hot honey ranch
1 ripened mango, peeled and diced
(stone discarded)
1 tbsp chilli jam
Handful of fresh coriander leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Pour the vinegar and lime juice into a shallow dish that will fit into your air fryer. Sprinkle the sweet and smoky seasoning all over the pork and put it in the dish; then cover with clingfilm and
marinate for 1 hour or chill overnight.
2. Set the air fryer to 150°C (300°F). Pour 200ml of the stock into the pork mixture and cover with tin foil. Cook for 1 hour until the pork is tender.
3. When the pork is almost done, cook the rice and beans. Heat the butter in a heavy-based pan with a lid over a medium to high heat. Cook the white parts of the spring onions and chilli for about 3 minutes until softened. Add the rice and stir well. Pour in rest of the stock and a good pinch of salt, whisking to combine. Cover and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Lift the lid on the rice mixture, scatter over the green parts of the spring onions and kidney beans, then gently fork through. Cover again and leave undisturbed for another 10 minutes.
4. Drain the liquid from the pork and put it in a pan over a high heat to reduce down to 4 tbsp. Meanwhile, slice the pork into small chunks, then fold back in the reduced-down liquid. Warm the wraps on a non-stick dry frying pan for 20-30 seconds (or even better char on a gas flame) on each side.
5. Smear the wraps with the ranch, then divide the rice and beans among them and top with the pork. Scatter over the mango, a spoonful of the chilli jam and the coriander. Fold in the edges to wrap up and then wrap in tin foil to hold their shape. Cut each one in half and arrange on plates.
Crispy fragrant pork belly
Crispy fragrant pork belly. \ Philip Doyle
Ingredients: Serves 2
3 tbsp sea salt
3 tbsp hot honey
1 tbsp sweet and smoky seasoning
1 pack Irish pork belly slices
1 heaped tsp Chinese five spice powder
Achill sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper
Steamed jasmine rice, to serve
Green vegetables stir-fry, to serve
Method
1. First make a brine. Put 300ml of water in a large pan with the sea salt, honey and sweet and smoky seasoning. Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the honey and salt, then remove from the heat and leave to cool down to room temperature. Pour into a large, rigid container with a lid and add the pork belly – it needs to be fully immersed. Secure the lid and put in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight is best.
2. When ready to cook, allow the pork belly to come back to room temperature. Remove from the brine and lightly dust the meat part with the Chinese five spice powder. Make a small tray from tin foil, just large enough to hold the pork belly slices snugly, with the sides folded up so the juices don’t escape. Set the air fryer to 170°C (325°F) and put the tin foil tray with the pork belly in. Cook for 30 minutes until crispy and caramelised. Leave to rest for 5 minutes.
3. While the pork is resting, cook the rice and stir-fry vegetables. Divide the steamed jasmine rice and stir-fry the vegetables between the bowls and arrange two pieces of the pork belly on each one. Serve immediately.
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