We had roast pork for lunch today, with crunchy crackling and homemade gravy. The sow who contributed to the meal was one of our first piglets on the farm. The meat was juicy and quite dark, and certainly not like the dry, white pork too many of us have had before.
I followed Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s suggestions for cooking roasts in his Meat Book: salt, pepper, oil and thyme rubbed into the skin; a half-hour sizzle at high heat; and then a couple of hours at 160 degrees c.
Two nights ago we sampled the first cuts from the sow. Fresh from the abattoir, we had loin chops marinated in garlic, honey, lemon juice and black pepper. I sealed the chops in a fry pan on moderate heat, and then cooked them for a couple more minutes. They were served on mash with stir-fried carrots, broccoli, capsicum and ginger. The marinade was subtle enough for the flavour of the pork to come through.
Winter’s wet weather continues into Spring. Just when the puddles have evaporated to a squishy mud hole, they fill again. The pigs seem to be enjoying the soft soil for digging, but it’s putting the vegetable garden very much behind. So far I’ve been able to dig enough ground for garlic, onions, a row of carrots, a few different brassicas and a good patch of rhubarb. Let’s just hope the broad beans, peas and potatoes can catch up.
I followed Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s suggestions for cooking roasts in his Meat Book: salt, pepper, oil and thyme rubbed into the skin; a half-hour sizzle at high heat; and then a couple of hours at 160 degrees c.
Two nights ago we sampled the first cuts from the sow. Fresh from the abattoir, we had loin chops marinated in garlic, honey, lemon juice and black pepper. I sealed the chops in a fry pan on moderate heat, and then cooked them for a couple more minutes. They were served on mash with stir-fried carrots, broccoli, capsicum and ginger. The marinade was subtle enough for the flavour of the pork to come through.
Winter’s wet weather continues into Spring. Just when the puddles have evaporated to a squishy mud hole, they fill again. The pigs seem to be enjoying the soft soil for digging, but it’s putting the vegetable garden very much behind. So far I’ve been able to dig enough ground for garlic, onions, a row of carrots, a few different brassicas and a good patch of rhubarb. Let’s just hope the broad beans, peas and potatoes can catch up.
We can’t complain though when the dams are overflowing and everything is green and freshly-washed.
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