Roast Pork with Crackling

Roast Pork with Crackling and Balsamic Gravy

I'm on a serious pork buzz at the moment. The pig is the most wonderful creature that just keeps on giving. The conditions that pigs are kept in in this country (aswel as most others) has me somewhat conflicted but I get around this by only eating the free range product. My refusal to eat factory farmed pork means that I can (for the most part) only enjoy pork in my own home as restaurants and café's rarely have free range pork/bacon on the menu. The upside to this is that I have now gotten quite good at making all sorts of pork dishes but this one, the simplest, is still my favourite.

Crackling.....the enemy of the home cook. Just the mention of the word brings out the hundreds of superstitions regarding the most mysterious of techniques. There seems to be a consensus online that the skin should be removed from the loin and cooked separately but I see no need to do this. The most important thing to guarantee good crackling is to dry the skin well before cooking. Ensure that it's bone dry, add some olive oil and salt and let the crackling sort itself out, simple!

Serves 6

1.2 kg Pork Loin (in one piece)
2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Onions (chopped)
1 large Carrot (chopped)
1 stick of Celery (chopped)
3 cloves of Garlic (chopped)
2 Bay Leaves
1 sprig of Rosemary
1 litre of Pork or Chicken Stock
2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Score the skin of the pork with a knife being careful not to cut into the flesh below. Dry it thoroughly with kitchen paper before rubbing the oil into the skin. Sprinkle with plenty of salt and set aside.

2. Put the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay and rosemary onto the bottom of a roasting dish and season lightly. Place the pork on top (skin side up) and put into a pre heated 230 degree oven. As soon as the pork goes in, drop the temperature to 175 degrees and cook for approximately 1 and a quarter hours or until cooked through. (check with a thermometer after an hour, it's cooked when the middle of the pork is 73 degrees celsius).

3. When the pork is cooked remove it from the tray and set aside to rest. Pour a little water into the tray and scrape up any of the stuck on bits of vegetables/meat. Pour this, along with all of the vegetables into a saucepan and add the stock and balsamic. Bring to a boil and allow to reduce by two thirds until there is about 350ml left.

4. Cut the pork into twelve slices and serve with potatoes and vegetables (or combine the two for colcannon like I did!) and pour over the gravy. Delicious!

Pork Hock with Lentils and Beans

Pulled Pork Hock with Lentils and Beans

Aggressive, rude and manly. The three words that come to my mind when I think of ham hocks. They're full of flavour and extremely versatile, great at enhancing any soup or stew. I hadn't come across their unsalted cousin before buying a butchered half pig last year. It had been left languishing in my freezer while all the trendier cuts were cooked months ago. I hadn't even planned on cooking it this week. Yesterday was meant to be a day for spicy lamb meatballs, but after pulling the freezer apart and realising it was lamb-less, this little bundle of skin, bone, fat and flesh was smiling at me...."please give me a chance?"

The hock needs to be cooked for a long time to break down all the muscle fibres. The three hours here does it well while the sticky sauce cuts through the rich flesh. Lentils are the perfect partner to any pork dish with this being no exception. Cooked this way, an 800g - 1Kg hock, should feed 2 people so feel free to double the recipe if you're serving 4.

Serves 2

1 Pork Hock (about 800g-1Kg)
2 Onions (roughly chopped)
2 sticks of Celery (roughly chopped)
2 Carrots (roughly chopped)
3 cloves of Garlic (crushed)
1 Bay Leaf
10 Red Peppercorns
2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
150g Lentils
1 Tin of Butter Beans
150ml Apple Juice
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Put the hock in a pot and cover completely with cold water. Bring to the boil and discard all of the frothy water in the pot. Again, cover the hock with cold water and add 1 onion, 1 stick of celery, 1 carrot, 2 cloves of garlic, the bay leaf and red peppercorns. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 2 hours, topping up with more water if necessary.

2. Remove the hock from the pot and strain the cooking liquid, reserving it for cooking the lentils and sauce. You can discard the vegetables. Put the remaining onion, celery, carrot and garlic onto the bottom of a roasting tray. Dry the hock with kitchen paper and place ontop of the vegetables. Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of the oil and season well. Put into a 170 degree preheated oven for 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile cook the lentils. Set aside 250ml of the hock cooking liquid for the sauce and pour the remainder into a saucepan. Cook the lentils according to packet instructions in this liquid (adding boiling water if necessary) and add the beans for the final few minutes.Drain and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Season well and set aside.

4. Remove the hock from the roasting tray and set aside to rest for a few minutes. Add the apple juice and the 250ml reserved cooking liquid, scraping any bits off the bottom of the pan. Put on the hob and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes before straining the sauce (discard the veg) and adding back to the pan.

5. Remove the skin from the hock and pull all the flesh from the bone with a fork. Season lightly and add to the sauce. Put the pan on a high heat and reduce the sauce until it is thick and sticky. Serve the pork on a bed of the lentils and beans.

Slow Cooked Spare Ribs

Spare Ribs have always been a firm favourite of mine. There was a time, not too long ago, that myself and Ali would find ourselves in Judge Roy Beans every Friday for a rack of them. A rapidly expanding waistline may have curtailed my binge eating but my love for ribs will always live on. Many restaurants will cook their ribs overnight on a very low heat to break down any fibers and tenderise the meat but at home 4 to 5 hours should be enough. 

This sauce works brilliantly with the ribs but you may wish to add more chilli powder. The one I used is a tongue melting type I got in Vienna, even a quarter teaspoon may have been a little too much!

Serves 1 Glutton, 2 Hungry Hippos or 4 Dieters

1 Rack of Pork Ribs (1.2 - 1.5 KG)

For the dry rub:
1 tsp each of Chilli Flakes, Dried Thyme, Chinese Five Spice
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

For the sauce:
210g Tomato Passata
10g Honey
5g White Wine Vinegar
20g Dark Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp Extra Hot Chilli Powder 

1. If the rack is too large for a baking tray cut it in half and put each half in a separate tray. Mix all the ingredients for the dry rub together and massage it into the meat for a few minutes. Cover each tray tightly with foil and put into a preheated 140 degree oven for 4 hours.

2. Meanwhile make the sauce. Put all of the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. After the 4 hours are up, remove the ribs from the oven and carefully remove the foil. Brush a little of the sauce over the ribs and place back in the oven, uncovered, at 180 degrees for ten minutes. Remove and cut the ribs apart. Serve covered in the sauce with some chips and salad or, like me, with a ratatouille.

Dogs in Cages?

Bord Bia are currently filling our airwaves with ads encouraging us to buy and eat Irish Pork. Their quality assurance scheme ensures that "farmers are audited against a range of standards including animal health; welfare and traceability; water and feed......" All of this serves to ensure that the Irish public knows thinks that the animal they are eating has led a reasonable life and has suffered as little as possible.

I think everybody is aware of the plight of the intensively reared chicken. Most supermarkets and good butchers now stock a good range of free range or organic birds and people are slowly deciding against supporting the horrendous conditions they are kept in. Few people seem to know or care about the conditions that our pot-bellied friends are kept in. According to a 2010 Compassion In World Farming report: "The pig industry in the Republic of Ireland is highly intensive, with the vast majority of pigs reared on factory farms. In these, pigs are kept inside large sheds with no access to outdoors, and conditions are often crowded and barren." "Farrowing crates are very commonly used in Ireland and in other countries. The sow is moved to a farrowing crate just before she is due to give birth. She stays there until her piglets are taken away when they are about four weeks old. The farrowing crate is narrow and it is difficult for the sow to stand up or lie down; turning around is impossible" "Many farms in the Republic of Ireland, and in other EU countries, are failing to provide effective enrichment material for fattening pigs" "Although EU law prohibits routine tail docking, 95% to 99% of pigs in the Republic of Ireland are tail docked"

I find it quite surprising that people accept this treatment of an animal that, many experts now agree, is more intelligent than the beloved dog that currently sits by your side. I know if any of us were treating our canine friends the same as pigs it wouldn't be long before the ISPCA would be knocking on our door, and rightly so.

Free Range or Organic Pork is difficult to find in Ireland but even by just asking for it, it gets into the mind of our great butchers and supermarkets. Baby steps like this could lead to a brighter future for our bacon.

If there is a supplier of free range pork near you, leave a comment or send me an email and I'll include them in a future page of my favourite suppliers. 

Stuffed Pork Fillet

Like with beef, the fillet is the tenderest piece of pork available. It is a versatile cut that cooks quickly and is often used in a stir fry. This is the first time I've ever treated it as a roasting joint and I was pleasantly surprised. The problem with the fillet is that it can dry out if overcooked. With beef this can be combated by cooking the joint/steaks rare but (as far as I know) pork should still be cooked through. The key piece of equipment with the fillet is a thermometer. As soon as it hits 73 degrees in the middle, remove it from the oven, let it rest and then slice and serve. The stuffing here adds lots of flavour as the fillet can be a bland cut. You can get your butcher to butterfly the fillet or follow the instructions here.

Serves 3-4

For the stuffing:
3 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
3 fillets of Anchovies in oil (finely chopped)
1 Bay Leaf
125g Kidney (finely chopped)
125g Fresh Breadcrumbs

1 500-600g Pork Fillet (Butterflied)
1 Carrot (sliced)
1 Onion (sliced)
2 cloves of Garlic (crushed with the side of a knife)
1 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 glass of Red Wine
Chicken Stock

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. First make the stuffing. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over a medium heat and add the onion, garlic, anchovies and bay leaf. Season with some pepper and cook for 5-6 minutes until the onions are soft but not coloured. Add the kidney and cook for 4-5 minutes before stirring in the breadcrumbs and mixing well. Mix in the remaining tablespoon of oil and set aside to cool.

2. Open out the butterflied fillet and spread half of the stuffing on top of it. Roll it up length ways and tie with some butchers string. Rub the oil into the meat and season well. Spread the carrot, onion and garlic out over a baking tray and put the rolled fillet on top. Put into a 180 degree pre-heated oven and cook for 35 minutes. Pour the wine in on top of the vegetables and put back into the oven for 15-20 minutes until the centre hits 73 degrees. If you wish to cook the remaining stuffing, put it in an oven proof bowl, cover with tin foil and put into the oven too.

3. Remove the fillet to a plate and cover with foil to rest. Pour the wine and vegetables into a saucepan and add a little chicken stock. Simmer for ten minutes before straining. You can thicken with corn flour if you wish but I like it left as is.

4. Carve the fillet into slices and serve with some boiled baby potatoes and vegetables. Cover everything in the delicious sauce!

Pete's Perfect Portion 13

Roast Pork with Crackling Sandwich - Poulet Bonne Femme, Avoca, Rathcoole

Last Thursday I found myself in Newcastle, Co. Dublin around lunch time. I had been thinking of getting something to eat in the village and then it clicked with me; Avoca is just two minutes away! I'm a big fan of Poulet Bonne Femme. Their roast chicken sandwich has been my favourite lunch time treat for as long as I care to remember but this time.....this time I went for the pork. This is the sandwich dreams are made from. Succulent pork, crispy crackling, fresh bread, butter, mayo, Dijon mustard and a few mixed leaves. Perfect.

Pete's Perfect Portion 11

Cracklings

A couple of months ago I got the crazy idea to buy half a pig. Actually I wanted a full pig but when I realised the size I decided on half instead. Last week my idea came to fruition as Richard took the long trip from Mayo to Kinneagh with 40Kg of fresh pork in his boot. After an apology for the lack of a head in the box and a quick chat about all things Pork, I got to work.

At the end of all my processing I was wondering what to do with all the remaining back fat. I decided to make lard (surely it'll come in handy over Christmas right?!) What I didn't think I would get is the delicious crispy bits leftover after the fat is finished rendering. With a sprinkle of salt these golden beauties become the most delicious savory snack. I'll be posting a recipe over the next couple of weeks but if you come across some back fat in the mean time, don't throw it out, stick it in the freezer, these nuggets are worth the wait!

Porchetta

Porchetta is a beautiful Italian dish which, along with Pecorino Romano, is probably the most important food to come from the Lazio region. Traditionally it was made by cleaning out and de-boning a pig, stuffing it with some of the entrails and herbs and roasting it whole over a wood buring fire. It is said to have been the favourite dish of the emperor Nero, clearly a man with good taste! 

This recipe is a slightly simpler approach to the classic. Pork belly gives the perfect mix of crackling, fat and flesh while the liver in the stuffing balances the sweet meat perfectly. Porchetta can be served as a roast dinner but to me it's at its best thinly sliced on a crispy bap. Whatever isn't eaten can be sliced and frozen.

Serves 6 as dinner or 12 sandwiches

1.5 KG piece of boneless Pork Belly
1 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 sprigs of Rosemary
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Butcher's String

For the Stuffing:

1 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 clove of Garlic (finely chopped)
150g Pork Liver (finely chopped)
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1/4 glass of Red Wine
Handful of Flaked Almonds
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. First make the stuffing. Add the oil to a pan over a medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Season lightly and cook for 7-10 minutes until softened. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add the liver and oregano and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes before adding the wine. Cook off the alcohol for 2-3 minutes and remove from the heat. Stir in the flaked almonds and allow to cool completely.

2. Lay the belly out, skin side down, and season well. Spread the stuffing out evenly all over the meat and carefully roll the meat up so that the stuffing is on the inside with the skin on the outside. Tie up every few centimeters to hold the joint together. Cover and put into the fridge for a few hours (or overnight) to marinade.

3. Make sure the outside of the Porchetta is completely dry before putting it into a baking dish with the seem on the the bottom. Pour over the oil and scatter the rosemary on top. Season and put into a pre-heated 200 degree oven. Cook for 20 minutes before turning the temperature down to 160 degrees. Cook for a further two and a half hours, turning back up to 200 for the final 10-15 minutes.

Das Eierbrot and Spaghetti with Meatballs

World Cup, Day 10 & 11 - Germany & U.S.A.

Das Eierbrot and Spaghetti with Meatballs

Day 10 is the first time I've struggled to fulfill my challenge as we had a hectic day but I managed to cheat and prepare a German 'dish' - Das Eierbrot: an open faced sandwich topped with butter and egg. It's simple yet satisfying. With an easy dish like this, it's important to use the right ingredients. Get some good sour dough bread and cover with real butter, no spreadable or heart friendly stuff here please! Then slice a hard boiled egg and place it on top with a sprinkling of salt and pepper - beautiful!

Today, Day 11, I wanted to make something from the U.S.A. It was a tough choice: a nation the size of a continent has several dishes to choose from! I decided on spaghetti with meatballs in a tomato sauce. Most people think this is Italian but it's actually from the U.S.A. Although spaghetti and meatballs are staples of Italian cuisine, they are never served together. Spaghetti with tomato sauce is served as a pasta course, followed by the meatballs as a meat course. Italian chef Paolo Tullio on his Newstalk slot with Sean Moncrieff explained recently that when working in New York, the Italian's would bring a packed lunch of spaghetti with tomato sauce and meatballs. Although the Italians looked upon this as two separate courses, Americans understood it as one meal.

I always make a big batch of meatballs and freeze half of them before cooking. The meatballs should be about golf ball size. Half of the meatballs with the sauce will serve 4-5 people.

Makes 28-30 Meatballs

2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Onions (finely chopped)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
500g Beef Mince
500g Pork Mince
1 Egg (beaten)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

For the Sauce:

6 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 clove of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Chilli (finely chopped)
1 Carrot (Grated)
1 stick of Celery (finely chopped)
2 Tins of Chopped Tomatoes
1 tsp Sugar
1tsp Dried Oregano
2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese (grated)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Spaghetti to Serve

1. Make the meatballs by heating half the oil in a pan and adding the onion and garlic. Season well and cook for 6-7 minutes to soften. Set aside and allow to cool completely. 

2. Put the beef and pork mince into a mixing bowl and season well. Add the cooled onion mixture and egg and mix well. With wet hands, shape into golf balls. Use half the meatballs to serve 4-5 people and place the rest in the freezer. Let the meatballs you're using chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile make the sauce by heating the oil in a saucepan and adding the onion, garlic, chilli, carrot and celery. Season well and cook for 6-7 minutes before adding the tinned tomatoes, sugar and oregano. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

4. Heat the remaining oil in a clean pan over a high heat and fry the meatballs on all sides to brown. Add the meatballs to a baking dish and pour over the sauce to cover. Cook in a 180 degree oven for 10 minutes before sprinkling over the Parmesan. Cook for another 5-10 minutes. Serve over spaghetti topped with more Parmesan if you like.

Ragu

World Cup, Day 3 - Italy

Ragu

Day 3 of the World Cup. Day 2 proved a shock as Spain were hammered by a fresh looking Dutch side and refereeing errors almost denied Mexico a win. The paella went down a treat with all the family (you can't have paella for two!). Today's menu was more difficult. I love Italian food. I cook Italian several times a week, so what to choose? I settled on a ragu (meat sauce). In Ireland we know this as 'bolognese sauce' but that's just one type of ragu. This is my version - the 'Kinneagh Kitchen Ragu'.

The most important thing with a ragu is a strong meaty flavour. Lamb's liver gives a robustness while the roasted bones raise it another level. I usually add chopped kidney too but somebody raided the butchers before I got there! It's important to let it cook for at least 2 hours to allow all the flavours to develop.

Serves 4

500g Raw Bones (Beef or Lamb)
2 tsp Dried Oregano
5 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium Onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Chilli (finely chopped)
1 stick of Celery (finely chopped)
1 small Carrot (finely chopped)
100g Lamb's Liver (diced)
250g Beef Mince
250g Pork Mince
200ml Red Wine (Chianti if possible)
1 tbsp Tomato Puree
1 tin of San Marzano Tomatoes (or good plum tomatoes)
3 ripe Plum Tomatoes
1 Bay Leaf
50 ml Milk
400g Dried Tagliatelle Pasta
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese to serve

1. Place raw bones onto a baking tray. Add 1 tbsp of the oil and 1 tsp of the oregano. Rub all over the bones and roast in a 200 degree oven for 1 hour. Set aside.

2. Heat the remaining oil in a sauce pan over a medium heat and add the onion, garlic, chilli, celery and carrot. Season well and cook for 7-10 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add liver and mince and brown all over. Season and add the wine. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and cook for 5-7 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Add the tomato puree and let it sit for 1 minute before stirring well.

3. Meanwhile chop the tinned tomatoes and remove any hard tops. Chop off the top of the ripe tomatoes and dice. Add all the tomatoes including the juice from the tin to the pan and bring to the boil. Season and add the roasted bones, the remaining 1 tsp of oregano and bay leaf. Stir well, turn down the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add some boiling water if it gets too dry.

4. Approx. 10 minutes from the end, bring 4 litres of water to the boil in a large pan. Add approx. 20g of salt and return to the boil before adding the pasta. Stir and cook until al dente (8-10 minutes). Drain the pasta and set aside. Remove the bones and bay leaf from the ragu and add milk. Stir well before tipping in the pasta. Mix everything together before serving with gratings of Parmesan or Pecorino cheese on top.

Ragu Pie

Leftover Ragu Pie

A good ragu is a beautiful thing; different meats stewed for hours with a little tomato to create a rich and delicious sauce. In Ireland this isn't usually the case. Here we tend to put in a bit of beef mince, a jar or two of (insert your favourite brand here) bolognese sauce and give it a half hour on the stove. We then add it to overcooked spaghetti and because spaghetti can't hold a thick sauce, we're left with a giant puddle of something that tastes like a very sweet tomato sauce with a little mince going through it. Try this instead:

Heat a good glug of extra-virgin olive oil over a medium heat and add a finely chopped onion. Cook for 2 minutes before adding a finely chopped carrot, a finely chopped chilli and a finely chopped stick of celery. Season well and cook for 5-7 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add 400 g of beef mince, 200 g of lamb mince, 200 g of pork mince and 2 finely chopped lamb kidneys. Season and brown all over before adding a glass of good red wine. Cook for 5 minutes and add 500 g of tomato passata and a teaspoon of dried oregano. Cover, reduce the heat and cook for 2-3 hours.

This will give you a delicious and deep flavoured ragu. Serve with tagliatelle or some penne pasta that will hold the sauce. Italians reckon 100g of pasta is enough per person but they generally have a couple of courses so I think for safety, if its the only course, I'd allow 120g per person.

Invariably, no matter how many have to be fed, I'm always left with plenty of leftover ragu. It's so filling that you don't need to serve massive portions; enough to coat the pasta is perfect. I've been thinking of ways to use up leftover ragu and a somewhat obvious Shepherd's Pie came to mind. It's not the same as the lamb filling but I thought it might be a nice change and it would create another substantial dish to feed many. If you only have a little ragu left don't worry; even a thin layer will be sufficient.



Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Peel as many sweet potatoes as you need and boil in lightly salted water until tender. Drain, season well and mash adding about half a glass of milk (or cream if you prefer) as you do so. Check for seasoning and add extra salt/pepper if required. Lightly oil a baking dish (one that you'd use for a Lasagna or a Shepherd's Pie will be perfect) and spread the ragu evenly over the base. Add a layer of Parma ham/prosciutto on top of the ragu and spread the sweet potato mash over the prosciutto. Flatten with a fork, creating little peaks as you go. Sprinkle plenty of pepper over the top and place in the oven to cook for 30-40 mins. Serve with good crusty bread.

This pie can be adapted to your own taste. Feel free to add a layer of Parmesan cheese after the prosciutto or swap the sweet potatoes for normal potatoes if you prefer. I didn't give exact quantities here as it depends how much ragu you have left. A thick layer is great but as I said above, a thin layer of ragu is fine, the rest can be made up with the sweet potato; its probably healthier!

Lentil and Pork Stew

Lentil and Pork Stew

I'm a really big fan of one pot dishes, it saves on the washing up and invariably means that it will be a simple to make yet delicious meal. I didn't always enjoy a good stew but thankfully I have changed my ways and now consider them among my favourite dishes to eat (depending on the stew of course!) This one takes advantage of all round "Super Food" Lentils. I know some people find Lentils a bit bland and boring but as with anything that's cooked in and absorbs liquid, the liquid is the key! I find it best to cook them in a well flavoured stock and to be relatively liberal with the seasoning, the Extra-Virgin Olive Oil added at the very end is also a great flavour boost and really brings everything together beautifully!


I can't let this week go by without mentioning my little tour last weekend which took me to the fabulous city of Cork on Friday. I managed to sneak away from the venue just before the load in to visit the Foodie's Paradise, The English Market! I can't find the words to describe this place, fresh everything, everywhere!! Rows of Fresh Fish of all kinds sitting opposite fridges full of every type of Cheese imaginable aswell as lots of Fruit, Vegetables and to my particular delight, lots of Hams and Charcuterie! As I was going to be in a hot venue all night I was never going to buy too much so I settled on a few slices of Prosciutto di Parma, some Pecorino Cheese and some Kalamata Olives, all of which were devoured over the course of Soundcheck and Gig. I also managed a quick stop in Maher's on Oliver Plunkett Street to pick up my favourite blend of coffee beans and went back to the venue a very happy camper.....until I saw the amount of music equipment to be loaded up a stairs! Ok back to the Stew!!

Serves 4

4tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 Carrot (finely chopped)
1 Red Pepper (finely chopped)
200g Good Pork Mince
250g Lentils (Black)
700ml Good Vegetable Stock
1tbsp Tomato Puree
1tsp Dried Oregano
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat 3tbsp of the Olive Oil in a pan over medium heat, add the Onion, Carrot and Red Pepper and season well, cook for 5-7 minutes until softened.

2. Add the Pork Mince and brown well for 5-7 minutes before adding the Lentils and Stock, season well. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to a simmer, cook for 30 minutes before adding the Tomato Puree and Oregano. Stir well and cook for a further 5 minutes. Ensure that the Lentils are tender and adjust the seasoning if necessary, stir in the remaining 1tbsp of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil just before serving. Serve with some crusty bread.

Lasagne

Lasagne

One of the most recognisable dishes in the world, the Lasagne Bolognese is one of Italy's most famous and popular exports. It is comfort food at its finest, a deep flavoured Ragu layered with some beautiful Pasta and a deliciously rich Bechemel Sauce, baked until bubbly.....fantastico! This is not a traditional Italian Lasagne Bolognese but is instead, my take on the classic. I've added Porcini Mushrooms to give a more earthy flavour while the Cherry Tomatoes on top help to cut through the rich Ragu beautifully.

For The Meat Sauce/Ragu:

5tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
250g Pork Belly (diced)
400g Minced Beef
400g Minced Pork
1 Large Onion (finely chopped)
1 Large Carrot (finely chopped)
1 Celery Stick (finely chopped)
2 Large Cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
150ml White Wine
25g Dried Porcini (soaked in hot water for 30 mins, keep the juice, dice)
80ml left over Porcini soaking juice
10 Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
500g Tomato Passata
2 Bay Leaves
1tsp Dried Oregano
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

For The Pasta:

200g Italian "00" Flour (or Extra Strong Bread Flour)
2 Eggs

For The Bechemel:

50g Butter
2.5tbsp Flour
550ml Milk
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

50g Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
12 Cherry Tomatoes (halved)

1. Add the Oil to a saucepan over medium heat and add the diced Pork Belly. Fry for 5-6 minutes and add the Onion, Carrot, Celery and Garlic. Sweat for 5-10 minutes until soft.Turn the heat up, add the Beef and Pork mince, season well and brown for 7 minutes.

2. Add the Wine and cook off. Add the diced Porcini, 80ml of the soaking juice, Passata, Cherry Tomatoes, Bay Leaves and Oregano. Season well, bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover with a lid (leaving a small gap for steam to escape) and simmer for 1 and a half hours, stirring occasionally. If the sauce is too watery you can take off the lid and reduce for 10-15 minutes.

3. Next make the pasta. Tip the flour onto a clean table, make a well in the centre and crack the eggs in. Beat with a fork and then gradually work in the flour from the sides. Bring together with your hands and knead for a few mins until it become springy. Cover with Cling Film and put in the fridge for 30 mins.

4. Next , the Bechemel. Melt the butter in a saucepan and when its melted add the flour. Stir for 2-3 mins being careful not to let it burn. Slowly add the milk and whisk continuesly while heating until is thickens (approx 7-10 minutes) Season well, remove from the heat and set aside.



5. Remove the Pasta from the fridge, unwrap and flatten. If rolling by hand you're aiming for the thickness of two playing cards (Really Thin!) A pasta machine works best and its good to have a few helpers for the lower settings! Roll to the thinnest setting working down from the highest (Roll through the highest setting 5 times first, folding in half between each roll, to improve the texture) Dust with flour when necessary. Cook in well seasoned boiling water for 1 minute and drain well. Lay out on a table to avoid them sticking together.

6. Remove the Bay Leaves from the Meat Sauce and take it off the heat. Lightly oil the bottom of your baking dish and begin with a light layer of Meat Sauce, followed by Bechemel, a little Parmesan and a light seasoning of Salt and Pepper. Top with a layer of the Pasta and repeat the process until the dish is almost full. Finish with a good layer of Bechemel and a good sprinkling of Parmesan Cheese. Season again and finish with halved Cherry Tomatoes around the edges. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 180 degrees C. Serve with some good Garlic Bread.

Variations

This is another great base recipe that can easily be adjusted to taste. Add extra vegetables to the Ragu for a more nutritious hit or add some Basil to get that quintissentially Italian flavour. One layer of Prosciutto in the middle of a Lasagne can also work great and dotting little balls of Mozzarella in the layers before baking makes for a lovely surprise! Dried Pasta can also be used instead of fresh if time is short.