I first tried porchetta at my mate Pete’s birthday. He cooked it long and slow, with the skin on. It was delicious but very difficult to slice as the skin turned to crackling, and we know how tough that can be on your teeth, and on a knife!

Al’s recipe is twice cooked, firstly in a bath of apple juice and chicken stock. Then, after slicing, it’s fried in a really hot pan or on a barbecue.

Preparing the pork belly requires the skill of a surgeon and a very sharp knife. Al’s assistant Hayden explained to me it’s like making a ‘pork blanket’ – the pork belly is sliced thinly through the middle so it doubles in size. It ends up being very thin so it will roll up many times over.

I don’t usually list recipes for salads and accompaniments, but the grilled carrot and fennel seed salad is exquisite, and complements the pork so beautifully. It truly is a great combination.

Porchetta after searing and before roasting

Lastly, let me say that Stoked is all about cooking on an open fire, or with smoke. The day that I prepared and cooked this meal it was pouring with rain so I was forced indoors. It worked fine roasting in an oven, and using a very heavy pan for the frying, and for the grilled carrot. You just need a very good extractor fan!

Ingredients for porchetta:

• 2kg pork belly
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, dry roasted and ground
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh sage leaves (I didn’t have any and left this out)
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• salt and pepper
• cooking oil for searing
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves

Method:

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C.

Make your pork blanket by removing the skin, then carefully slicing through the belly horizontally so it doubles in size and looks like a ‘pork blanket’. Remove any large pieces of fat.

Sprinkle the garlic, fennel, lemon zest, and other herbs over the pork then roll tightly and tie at 3cm intervals – tightly. You’ll end up with a long parcel of rolled pork.

Get a heavy fry pan and on a high heat sear the porchetta all over til golden brown.

Place in a roasting dish. Pour the apple juice over the top, and add the chicken stock and bay leaves. At this stage I realised I had left out the lemon zest so I grated and sprinkled over the top of the pork.

Cover the dish with tinfoil and return to the oven top to get the whole thing boiling. Once it’s bubbling put it in the oven and leave it there for two hours. I removed the tin foil half way through the cooking but it probably pays to leave it on for the whole time.

Once cooked (soft and tender right through) take out of the oven and leave it to cool in the juices. You can then refrigerate and do the second part the next day.

Ingredients for grilled carrot and fennel seed salad:

• 1 kg carrots peeled and cut into quarters lengthwise
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil (use Al Browns – it’s great)
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup of torn mint leaves
• 1/2 cup of parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup lemon infused olive oil, or good quality extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of sugar
• 2 tablespoons fennel seeds dry roasted and then coarsely ground

Method:

Heat a pan (or stove top or chargrill) as hot as you can get it.

Place the carrots in a bowl and toss in olive oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Place the carrots in the pan and leave for 5 minutes before turning so they start to turn black-ish. Once caramelised all over remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Add the remaining ingredients to the carrots and toss to combine. Check the seasoning and you are ready to go once the pork is ready.

Final porchetta cooking:

Remove the porchetta from the refrigerator and remove the string. Slice the pork into thick steaks.

Get a heavy fry pan (maybe the same one that you did the carrots in) and have it medium hot. Lightly brush the porchetta with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown on each side, and warm all the way through.

Serve immediately with the carrot salad.

I had guests over for dinner and everyone was very impressed. It’s simple, and what’s more it’s fun to cook. Enjoy!

Richard Till shares his recipe for BBQ sauce in the Sunday Star Times today.

Here’s the recipe:

• half a cup of salad oil (he suggests not using your finest olive oil but I think making recipes with only the best ingredients is always well advised)
• 4 cloves finely minced garlic
• handful finely minced rosemary
• 2T mustard powder
• 2T sweet paprika (personally I’d go easy on this ingredient as I find it quite overpowering if you miscalculate the measure)
• 1T curry powder
• 4T sesame oil (leave it out if you don’t have any)
• 1T soy
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup store bought BBQ sauce (don’t understand this bit and would be tempted to leave this out)

Combine all of these ingredients and brush on anything you intend to BBQ – meat, vegetables, fish – whatever!

It’s pretty simple to make. All you need is pork belly and potatoes and a hot oven. Plus a lot of beer and some pickled beetroot if you can find it, or make it.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg pork belly cut into thin strips
• freshly ground pepper
• sea salt

Fot the parsley sauce:

• 1 tspn of lemon juice
• 2 cups low fat milk
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 tbspn flour
• bunch of parsley chopped
• 2 tablespooons butter
• potato water

Crispy pork belly with potatoes and parsley sauce

 Method:

Preheat your oven to 225 degrees C.

Cut the pork belly into very thin strips. If it’s too thick it won’t crisp up. Place the pork on top of baking paper in a roasting dish and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Put it in the pre-heated oven on the middle shelf.

Fry it crisp for around 30 minutes. You’ll need to pour the fat off several times and turn the pork so it doesn’t burn. Drain the pork on paper towels before serving.

While you are doing the pork soft boil the potatoes. Reserve some of the potato water to make the parsely sauce.

Chop the parsley finely. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour stirring all the while. Add the milk and a little of the potato water, continually stirring to thicken. Season with salt, pepper and some lemon juice. You can also add a bit of the fat from the pork if your arteries will allow it.

Remove the pan from the heat and mix the chopped parsley through it.

Serve the pork and the potatoes with pickled beetroot, and a nice lager.

Enjoy.

Copyright: Image courtesy of Frej

Bacon lollipops - mmmmmmmmm

Mighty Ape have bacon lollipops for sale – the perfect Christmas stocking filler for the meat eater who likes to snack on sweets.

Apparently -

They’re swirly and sweet! They taste like cured meat!

Generous 10cm diameter, bacon-flavored lollipop goes great with scrambled eggs and hash browns!

Sold individually.

Buy them here.

The public have agreed with the experts and also crowned the Italian Casalinga Pork sausage the People’s Choice Award winner.

After two days of judging, it came down to the top 14 sausages vying for the ultimate prize in the Devro New Zealand Sausage Competition, also sponsored by Kerry Ingredients.

Ashby’s Butchery owner, Corey Winder says he is overwhelmed to achieve both awards.

“I was really happy to be announced as the people’s choice award winner, but to then be announced as the overall supreme winner as well was really something, it’s going to be huge for our business,” says Corey.

Gold, silver and bronze medals were also awarded to the best of the best over the twelve categories, these went to:

Beef Medals (30 entries)

Bronze

Southbridge Tasty Meats, Beef Sausage
Waikanae Butchery, Beef Sausage

Silver

Murchison Meats, Beefy Sausage

Gold

NZ Farm Co, Gourmet Beef Sausage
Ellerslie Meats, Beef Sausage

Pork Medals (30 entries)

Bronze

Blackball Salami, Pork Sausage

Silver

Hellers Ltd, Free Farmed Country Pork

Gold

Te Rapa New World, Pure Pork Sausage

Precooked Medals (19 entries)

Bronze

Ashby’s Butchery, Beef Precooked

Silver

Tegel, Tegel Precooked

Gold

NZ Farm Co, BBQ Pork Precooked

Flavoured Precooked Medals (15 entries)

Gold

Franklin Country Meats, Smoked Paprika & Cheese Precooked

Flavoured Medals (22 entries)

Bronze

Progressive, Beef Flavoured

Gold

Brookfield New World, Pork Flavoured
NZ Farm Co, Chicken Sausage
NZ Farm Co, Bitter & Twisted

International Mild Medals (37 entries)

Bronze

Leonards Superior Smallgoods, Texan Chilli
Netherby Meats, Kransky

Silver

Aussie Butcher New Lynn, Mediterranean Lamb Merguez
Allenton Meat Centre, Chunky Russian
Franklin Country Meats, Greek Lamb

Gold

Ashbys Butchery, Italian Fennel
Harris Meats, Beir Sticks

Frankfurters & Rounds Medals (30 entries)

Bronze

Verkerks, Frankfurter 300g
Verkerks, Rookworst 300g

Silver

Peter Timbs Meats, White Pudding
Blackball Salami, Black Pudding

Gold

Greerton Quality Meats, Black Pudding
Peter Timbs Meats, Kolbasz

International Spicy Medals (41 entries)

Bronze

Grey Lynn Butchers, Hungarian
Scotts The Traditional Butcher, Spicy Pork Chorizo
Cashmere Cuisine, Hungarian

Silver

Peter Timbs Meats, Chorizo
Aussie Butcher New Lynn, Mediterranean Lamb Merguez

Gold

Ashbys Butchery, Italian Casalinga Pork
Hellers, French Merguez

Saveloy/Cocktail/Polony Medals (24 entries)

Bronze

Goulds Fine Foods, Saveloy
Ashby’s Butchery, Saveloy

Silver

Goulds Fine Foods, Cocktail
Cashmere Cuisine, Smoked Saveloy

Gold

Ellesmere Butchery, Smoked Saveloy
Angus Meats, Plain Saveloy
NZ Farm Co, Cocktail Frankfurter

Traditional Medals (81 entries)

Bronze

Netherby Meats, Lincolnshire
Brookfield New World, Lamb, Mint, Herb & Rosemary

Silver

Harris Meats, Old English
Hellers, Basil & Tomato

Gold

Harmony Foods, Pork & Fennel
Brookfield New World, Country Pork

Bratwurst & Boerwors Medals (27 entries)

Bronze

Rangiora New World, Venison Boerwors

Silver

Peter Timbs Meats, Nurenberg
Peter Timbs Meats, Spanish
NZ Farm Co, Beef Boerwors

Gold

Hellers, Pork Nurenberg
Peter Timbs Meats, Hot Hungarian

Gourmet Medals (118 entries)

Bronze

Ellis Rd New World, Pure Pork, Blue Vein Cheese & Garlic
Brookfield New World, Beef, Basil & Sundried Tomato
Leonards Superior Smallgoods, Prime Pork

Silver

The Wanaka Butcher, Beef with Sundried Tomato & Black Olives
South City New World, Venison, Merlot & Cracked Pepper

Gold

Angus Meats, Pork Stilton & Apple
Nelson New World, Venison, Merlot & Cracked Pepper
South City New World, Chicken & Bacon

Entries for the 2011 Devro New Zealand Sausage Competition, run by Retail Meat New Zealand, will be secretly selected from the cabinet in preparation for judging, which will take place between 2-4 November at the Auckland Fish Market.

The competition, also sponsored by Kerry Ingredients, promises to be the biggest yet with record entries of more than 470.

“The competition is highly anticipated by butchers each year. Being named the Supreme Award winner can have significant impact on sales, so it’s a very serious business,” says Kim Doran of Retail Meat New Zealand.

The sausages have been entered into 12 categories incorporating every imaginable flavour from Lamb, Honey & Mint to Bacon & Banana, in categories ranging from Traditional to International to Gourmet.

The butchers will have their hopes set on gaining the highest mark in their category in order to move in to the Supreme Award judging.

The public are invited to taste and judge the twelve category winners for the People’s Choice Award from 1-2pm on 4 November at the Auckland Fish Market.

So, forgive me for the fact that I have only just heard that one of the longest serving cast members, Betty Turpin, has died aged 91.

Betty, whose real name was Betty Driver, originally auditioned for the role of Hilda Ogden in 1964 after a very long and successful career on stage and radio. She was persuaded to come out of retirement in 1969 to take the role of Rovers Return barmaid Betty Turpin.

She became famous on the show for cooking Lancashire hotpot, but the funny thing was that in real life she never ate this dish because she didn’t like meat. In fact for someone who provided the pub meals in the Rovers Return she acted very well as she was a self-confessed lousy cook.

It seems only right that in honour of Betty Turpin’s long career and stalwart hotpot enthusiast that we should reproduce here a classic Lancashire hotpot recipe.

RIP Betty Driver.

Betty Turpin's Lancashire hotpot

Ingredients:

• 100g dripping or butter
• 900g stewing lamb , cut into large chunks
• 3 lamb kidneys, sliced, fat removed
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 25g plain flour
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 500ml lamb or chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 900g potatoes, peeled and sliced

Method:

Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Heat some dripping or butter in a large shallow casserole dish, brown the lamb in batches, lift to a plate, then repeat with the kidneys.

Fry the onions and carrots in the pan with a little more dripping until golden. Sprinkle over the flour, allow to cook for a couple of mins, shake over the Worcestershire sauce, pour in the stock, then bring to the boil. Stir in the meat and bay leaves, then turn off the heat. Arrange the sliced potatoes on top of the meat, then drizzle with a little more dripping. Cover, then place in the oven for about 1½ hrs until the potatoes are cooked.

Remove the lid, brush the potatoes with a little more dripping, then turn the oven up to brown the potatoes, or finish under the grill for 5-8 mins until brown.

Serve with chips and red cabbage!

Click here to view the embedded video.

So, am I building this up into a meal that you’d want to eat?

My boy Arlo has been hankering for this meal for ages. Where he got the idea that he would like it I have no idea. But I felt obliged, given that I’m on school holiday and cooking duties, to cook it for him. And I was determined to make it a good one.

It’s an incredibly simple recipe – in fact, it’s hardly a recipe at all – but there are some things you need to keep in mind to make it a worthwhile and tasty experience.

Delicious wiener schnitzel with potato salad

Ingredients:

• Beef schnitzel, one per person
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• flour for dusting
• bread crumbs
• lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• canola oil

Method:

Flatten the beef schnitzels with a tenderiser. I did mine with a rolling pin. Trim the meat of fat, usually around the edges.

Get three shallow bowls and place flour in one, the beaten egg in another, and the breadcrumbs in the last.

Put plenty of canola oil in a pan and bring to a high heat. The recipe I was using suggested having enough oil that the meat would float in it. I didn’t have enough to do that, plus I couldn’t bring myself to do that. Instead I liberally poured oil into a non-stick frying pan, enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and a bit more. It’s important to get this piping hot. If you don’t the meat will just soak up the oil and it won’t be a good eating experience.

So, when you are ready, dust each schnitzel with flour, baste it in egg then roll in breadcrumbs. Place gently in the pan and fry the first side up to 4 minutes before turning. What you are trying to get is a crispy brown coating. Don’t be tempted to turn the heat down. The meat is thin enough that it doesn’t take long to cook. Keep the cooked ones under tinfoil until they are all done and ready to serve.

Squeeze lemon juice over the meat just before eating. Absolutely delicious!

We served ours with potato salad, and asparagus.

(Prep 5 minutes. Cook 10 minutes. Serves 1)

Ingredients:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 3 eggs
• kosher salt
• fresh cracked pepper
• leftover skirt steak, sliced
• spring onions diced
• crumbled blue cheese

Method:

In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.  Whisk eggs together until combined and frothy, season with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.  Add eggs to pan, waiting to stir until eggs have set.  Using a wooden spoon, gently lift the cooked portions from the bottom of the pan, allowing the runny portions to reach the heat.  Continue in this manner until no more runny portion remains, careful not to over-scramble.

Meanwhile, heat the leftover steak to temperature using a microwave or skillet over medium heat.  Plate eggs, topped with sliced steak, and garnish with diced spring onion and crumbled blue cheese.  Serve.

Leftover skirt steak scramble

Reproduced courtesy of The Art of Manliness, 30 August 2011.

Skirt Steak/Marinade

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 limes, juiced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 kg skirt steak
• kosher salt
• fresh cracked pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder

Onions/Peppers/Tortillas

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 large red onion, sliced into thin strips
• 1 large green pepper, sliced into thin strips
• 1 large yellow pepper, sliced into thin strips
• kosher salt
• fresh cracked pepper
• 8 – 10 large flour tortillas

Toppings/Garnish

• Pico de Gallo/Salsa
• sour cream
• guacamole
• cilantro (coriander)

Skirt steak fajitas

First:  At least 30 minutes prior to grilling, whisk together the first three ingredients into a mixing bowl, set aside.  Next, season the steaks liberally on both sides with the remaining ingredients.  Add the seasoned steaks into a large plastic bag and cover with the wet marinade.  Marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator.

Next:  Prepare grill.  Preheat half of the grill to high heat, with the other half devoted to low heat.  If using coals, pile coals on one side to create a direct and indirect heat surface.  Place a small cast iron skillet over direct heat; add 1/4 cup canola oil.  Add onions and peppers to the skillet and season with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.  Sauté until the ingredients are slightly charred and just tender, 3 – 4 minutes.  Move skillet to indirect heat and sauté until tender and caramelized, about 20 minutes.  As onions and peppers are finishing, remove skirt steaks from bag, shaking off excess marinade.  Grill steaks over direct heat for 2 minutes.  Flip steaks and grill for another 1 – 2 minutes for medium/medium rare depending on the size and thickness.  Remove steaks from grill, tent with foil, and rest for 3 – 4 minutes.

Last:  Grill tortillas over direct heat until warmed and slightly charred, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, keep warm.  Thinly slice skirt steak across the grain and place a generous portion onto a warmed tortilla.  Top the steak with onions and peppers.  Finally, finish with any of the desired toppings and serve immediately.

Reproduced courtesy of The Art of Manliness, 30 August 2011.