A pig and a poke in the taste buds

The popularity of bacon and ham seem continuously high. Indeed, last year the former was reported to have gained in popularity in the US despite steeply rising prices. Is pork afforded the same enthusiasm? Well, I have noticed that in the UK the inclusion of slow-roasted belly pork on restaurant menus has risen exponentially compared with maybe 5 or 6 years ago. I am very happy about this – my mouth is watering just at the thought of it – but for home cooking pork is a meat I don’t really hear many people raving about.

Pork has a subtle, sweet flavour, it’s versatile, some cuts are very lean, which helps with keeping the fat down in everyday cooking and the fattier cuts can make delicious treats. It seems, though, to have a reputation of being tasteless and difficult to stop going dry or tough. When cooking chops, for example, it can be a very fine line between cooking the meat through and it passing the knife-bounce test. So, how can these drawbacks be avoided?

One way to a succulent roast would be to treat pork like beef and lamb and leave it a little pink in the middle. I expect that, like me, many of you were told that pork must be cooked thoroughly and that ‘rare’ meat is dangerous because of the risk of trichinosis. In developed countries, though, the risk of infection from commercially reared and properly kept and prepared meat is now very low. So, perhaps it’s not such a surprise that last month the New York Times reported that the United States Department of Agriculture issued new guidance on the cooking temperatures for joints of pork that allow for some pinkness. The restaurant chefs are allegedly delighted, but to an old-fashioned girl like me, it seems a little on the cusp for home cooking. For the time being I would like to know that the correct temperature had been reached and maintained for the appropriate duration and that this had been carefully checked with a working meat thermometer.

Given that I’m not inclined to cook or eat roast pork on any frequent basis – only because my love of crackling, stuffing and roast potatoes could easily get out of hand – I have been thinking about recipes for tasty, healthy pork dishes that keep the meat tender. I have come to the conclusion that cooking lean pork in sauces or using marinades that can be turned into sauces is the way forward. I have included below a couple of recipes that I particularly like.

The first, pork and mushrooms in a mustard sauce, arose from looking around for inspiration on how to work some classic combinations. The amount of mustard used can be altered according to personal preference, but it carries a hefty dose very well, and that comes from someone who didn’t even really like the stuff before cooking this. It works very well with very lean pork, such as loin steaks. It makes good comfort food when served with baked potatoes and some green vegetables.

The second, afelia pork, is a traditional Cypriot dish I had for the first time when on holiday last year. It’s very easy to make but a little time is required for marinading. This dish works really well with leg steak. The sauce is pungent from red wine and aromatic with lots of coriander seeds. I have read that traditionally this dish as served with pourgouri pilaf, which is made with bulgur wheat, but I was never offered that in Cyprus and haven't yet made it myself. I have included the recipe below, so do please post a comment about what you thought if you try it. If you don't fancy it, rice, especially brown rice, works really well. Just before serving I like to stir through a little onion and some frozen peas that have been gently fried.

Give pork a go. For more information, have a look at lovepork.co.uk.

Pork and mushrooms in a mustard sauce 

1 pound lean pork chopped into 1.5–2 cm chunks  
1 medium onion, finely chopped 
1 clove garlic  
8 oz mushrooms sliced  
2 tsp dried sage   
Ground black pepper (to taste)  
75 ml dry white wine  
25 ml dry sherry  
175 ml chicken stock  
1–1.5 tbsp Dijon mustard (according to taste)  
1 tbsp corn flour dissolved in a little water  

Fry the pork until cooked through then remove from the pan. Add the shallot/onion, garlic, mushrooms, sage, and ground black pepper to the pan and fry gently until the onion is translucent and the mushrooms have started to soften.

Add the wine and sherry to the pan and reduce until almost completely gone.

Add the chicken stock and mustard to the pan and boil until the liquid has reduced by around half. Add the corn flour mix to the pan, stirring constantly. The sauce should thicken noticeably. If it becomes too thick, add a little water and stir through. Repeat until the desired consistency is reached.

Replace the pork in the pan and warm through in the sauce, then serve.

Afelia pork with pourgouri pilaf

For the afelia pork 
1 kg pork leg steak, cut into 2cm cubed  
150 ml red wine  
2 tsp ground cinnamon  
1 teaspoon black peppercorns  
2 tablespoons coriander seeds  
Oil for cooking  
Salt and pepper to taste

For the pourgouri pilaf  
1 medium onion, finely sliced 
25 g vermicelli    
250g bulgur wheat  
300 ml chicken stock  
Oil for cooking  
Salt and black pepper to taste

Warm a dry frying pan on a low heat then gently dry roast the coriander seeds until they begin to release their scent. Coarsely crush the coriander seeds and peppercorns. Place the cubed pork in a shallow bowl along with the wine, cinnamon, crushed coriander seeds and peppercorns. Mix together well, cover and leave to marinate for at least 2 h but preferably overnight.

Remove the meat from the bowl, but reserved the marinade. Heat the oil in a saucepan and brown the meat. Add the marinade and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 20–30 min or until all the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce. If the sauce is not reduced enough, uncover for the pan and cook for a further 10 min.

While the meat is cooking, heat the oil for the pilaf in a heavy-based saucepan and saute the onion gently for a few minutes until it is softened but not browned. Break the vermicelli into small pieces and stir into the onion and continue to fry a little longer.

Rinse the bulgur wheat in cold water and add to the saucepan. Add the stock and seasoning then cover and simmer gently for 8–10 min or until all the stock is absorbed. Leave the pilaf to sit for 10 min, covered, before serving.