Pork Braised In Sherry With Tomatoes And Chorizo Recipes

PORK BRAISED IN SHERRY WITH TOMATOES AND CHORIZO

Steps:

• Start off by chopping the trimmed pork into largish cubes, then remove the skin from the chorizo and slice it into thinnish rounds. Next heat one tablespoon of the oil in the casserole over a high heat and when it's really hot add a few of the cubes of meat to brown well on all sides. Remove them to a plate then continue to brown the rest of the meat in small batches, adding a little more oil if required. Now add the rest of the oil and brown the onions (about 6 minutes or so), before adding the garlic and cooking for another minute. Next return the meat to the casserole and stir in the flour to soak up the juices, then add the chorizo followed by the tomatoes, sherry and sherry vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle in the thyme and bay leaves then give everything a good stir. Lastly bring the casserole up to a gentle simmer, put the lid on and transfer it to the centre of the oven to cook for 1½ hours. When the time is up, add the sliced peppers and the olives (left whole), give it all one good stir, cover again then leave it to carry on cooking for another ½ hour or until the peppers are tender. Serve with new potatoes and, at this time of year, beautiful young broad beans or fresh shelled peas.

SHERRY-BRAISED PORK CHEEKS

Steps:

• Heat 1 - 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan then add the onion. Cook gently for 10 - 15 minutes until softened and lighty coloured. Remove and set aside.
• Toss the cheeks in the seasoned flour. Add a little more oil to the pan and turn up the heat. Brown the pork cheeks all over in batches. Turn the heat down to medium.
• Return all the pork and the reserved onions to the pan. Add the garlic, cumin and paprika and cook for a minute, then pour in the sherry. Use your spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan and mix in all the flavours.
• Pour in the beef stock then bring the pan to a simmer. Simmer gently for 2 hours or until the cheeks are tender.
• Scatter with parsley leaves and flaked almonds. Serve with rice or buttery mashed potato.

CHORIZO-STUFFED PORK LOIN WITH BRAISED BEANS

Steps:

• Pound the fennel with 1 tbsp sea salt in a pestle and mortar to a fine dust. To butterfly the pork, lay on a chopping board skin-side down. Using a sharp knife, cut between the fatty layer just beneath the skin and the loin, rolling the meat to the side but leaving the meat and fat/skin connected at one end. Where you have a hinge, cut another line into the side of the thickest part of the meat, halfway down. Keep cutting in that direction to the other end of the loin, but not all the way through. Open the meat out. Rub in the fennel and salt, then set aside while you make the stuffing. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan, add the finely chopped onion and cook over a low-medium heat until softened, about 8 mins. Stir through the garlic, cook for another minute, tip into a bowl, then leave to cool.
• Tip the bread into a roasting tin. Bake for 10 mins, or until crisp and golden, then leave to cool. Turn the oven up to 240C/220C fan/gas 9.
• Crush any large chunks of bread to crumbs in your hands and add to the bowl of garlic and onion, along with the lemon zest. Pick the leaves from half the thyme sprigs and add these too, followed by the sausagemeat, squeezing it out from the skins. Scrunch everything together well using your hands.
• Pat the pork meat and skin dry with kitchen paper. Spread the stuffing evenly over the opened fleshy part of the pork, then roll the meat around the stuffing. Lay four-five pieces of string on a board, place the rolled-up meat on top, wrap the skin around the meat, then securely tie the string around the whole loin to make a neat cylinder. Rub the remaining oil over the exposed meat and salt into the skin.
• Put the loin in a large roasting tin and roast for 20 mins. Lower the heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and continue cooking for 1 hr.
• Remove the tin from the oven. If there is a lot of fat in the tin, carefully pour some away so you're left with a thin coating on the base of the tin. Tip the onion wedges, peppers and remaining thyme sprigs around the pork, then add the sherry, stock cube and paprika. Season and mix everything together, then return to the oven for 30 mins.
• Stir the beans into the veg in the roasting tin and squeeze over some lemon juice. If the beans look dry, add a splash of water. Return to the oven for another 10 mins.
• Remove the tin from the oven. Lift the pork onto a baking tray and cover the beans to keep them warm. Turn the oven up to 240C/220C fan/gas 9 and roast the pork for a final 10-15 mins to help the skin crackle. If you don't see bubbles popping on the surface, try grilling it for a few minutes, but keep a close eye on the crackling as it will burn easily. If you have a meat thermometer, the temperature should read 75C. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 10-15 mins.
• Reheat the beans gently on the hob, then transfer to a large platter. Scatter with parsley. Slice the pork thickly and lay on top of the beans with shards of crackling.