Brit Recipes: Two Pigs in a Poke and Wessex Stew

A little taste of Christmas--anytime

Two pigs…or two recipes using the same cut of meat–pork loin, one of my favorites. Surprisingly, while raiding the prodigal larder I discover we had some leftover mincemeat we made last Christmas; not enough for a batch of tarts but just enough for this….a stuffing for pork loin.  And it worked rather well. By the way, both recipes ensure the pork loin, a lovely lean cut of pork does not dry out in the cooking process.

Roast Pork with a Mincemeat Stuffing.

You’ll need a three-pound roast. Cut a large pocket into the pork, making sure you don’t puncture a hole through the sides or back of the joint. Stuff the pocket cavity with mincemeat and tie up the roast. If the meat is very lean, anoint the top with a little olive oil. Now place it in a roasting pan and surround the beast with half a glass each of orange juice and white wine. (Just use the juice if you’d rather, although I prefer a mixture.)

Pop the moated pork into a preheated oven at 450 F for thirty minutes, basting away every ten minutes or so. After half an hour, lower the temperature to 350 for another 40 minutes. If the pan dries up, pour on a little more orange juice and wine. Don’t drown the roast but do keep it moist. After the allotted time, remove from oven, tent the beast and let it rest for 15 minutes.

When you slice through the roast, make thick slices, ensuring everyone has some of the yummy mincemeat center. The wonderful Christmassy condiment is a wonderful complement to the pork because it is mostly tarty fruit and spices, and goes supremely well with the richness of pork. Tarty fruit? Well, apples apricots, oranges, grapefruit, prunes, are fruits that fall nicely into that category.

No mincemeat? Worry not.
Simply  raid the larder and concoct a fruit stuffing with whatever you have on hand. Create something of your own devising. Saute a chopped up apple, add some raisins and a few crushed walnuts, then bind it together with a bit of that apricot jam or marmalade languishing in the fridge,  I’ll wager you have the makings of a wonderful stuffing for pork loin, and a wonderful new addition to your culinary repertoire.

A Wessex Stew

Luscious, creamy sauce complement apples and pork perfectly.

This lovely dish originates from  England’s West Country where the cider apples grow. So naturally, it incorporates apples and English cider. Do try and track down English cider if you can. It lends a lovely flavor to the finished dish. Mind you if you can’t find hard cider, or don’t want to cook with any alcohol at all, substitute apple juice-but not grocery store apple cider. Apple juice has a cleaner taste than grocery cider so will work well with the dish. (Of course, Dorsetshire or Somerset  cider work even better, but never mind.) Although I’ve called this dish a Wessex stew, it can be prepped and served  in less than an hour. The meat is essentially braised gently for a very short time, remaining moist, tender and flavorful.

You’ll need a high-sided sauté pan with a lid. You will also need a couple of pounds of pork loin. Cube the meat into fair-size chunks, slightly bigger than bite size. Dredge the pork pieces in a little flour to which you have added a half teaspoon of Coleman’s dry mustard. The other ingredients are; a bunch of pearl onions or small round ones, or slices of a large onion; and a couple of Granny Smith apples, peeled and quartered; half a cup of cream; and a  cup of chicken or veal stock. And, of course,  a half pint bottle of English hard cider (or basic apple juice). And keep on hand some olive oil and a quarter stick of butter. You could add a packet of mushrooms, cleaned and cut in half, and a handful of carrots, although this is not imperative.

Now let’s do it!
Heat three tablespoons of olive oil and a knob of butter. When the butter sizzles, sauté the pork chunks until golden brown and remove to a plate. Next, sauté the apple quarters and remove. If the pan dries up, add a little more butter and oil. Sauté the onions until they turn golden brown.  At this point, put in the mushrooms and carrots if using.

Now deglaze the pan with the cider, scraping up any accumulated brown  bits. Then add in the stock. Turf the pork chunks back into the pan. Turn the heat way down. Cover and cook very, very  gently for just twenty minutes. At this point you can set the dish aside if you want to do it hours or a day ahead.  Or you can continue and finish the dish.

You don’t want to overcook the meat! So, after twenty minutes of gentle simmering, remove the pieces from the pan, cover, and keep warm. Leave the carrots and mushrooms in the pan.  Now add in the apple segments. Turn up the heat and reduce the liquid down a little, then add half a cup of cream and swirl around. When the cream bubbles, turn off the heat. Add the solids back into the pan. Stir  the pork around so that the pieces are nicely coated with the apple-creamy sauce. Let stand for five minutes. Garnish with parsley or cilantro (I know, I know, cilantro isn’t English, but it tastes really good). Mashed sweet potato is a nice accompaniment to the tender and flavorful meat. Try it and see, it’s jolly good!

This dish goes down a treat with a spicy white wine but, of course, English cider is the favorite with this one. Try this Wessex Stew for your family and friends and I’m  sure, they’ll be a yearnin’ for the beautiful West country where the cider apples grow, before you can say pippin!

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