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 Lamb Shanks

With Easter just around the corner I thought I'd stick with tradition and give a recipe for lamb. Most people will probably choose to cook a beautiful leg but I much prefer the more pronounced flavour of the humble shank. While the leg can be cooked pretty quickly, the shank requires a long and slow cook to break down the muscle fibres and become tender. This is also a great dish to serve at a dinner party as you can put it in the oven and forget about it for a few hours while you get on with other things. Try to use a decent red wine here, something that you wouldn't mind drinking. Ali isn't a big fan of lamb so I cooked a beef rib for her instead. It's the perfect substitute as it will work with the flavours and has the same cooking time.

Serves 4

2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
4 Lamb Shanks
2 Onions (chopped)
2 Carrots (chopped)
2 sticks of Celery (chopped)
2 Bay Leaves
2 sprigs of Thyme
1 bulb of Garlic (cut in half horizontally)
500ml good Red Wine
500ml good Lamb/Beef Stock
1 Tin of Tomatoes
1 Tin of Chickpeas
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

 1. Season the shanks with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large cassarole over a medium heat. Brown the shanks one at a time and set aside.

2. With all the meat removed add the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves and thyme. Season well and cook for 6 or 7 minutes before adding the wine. Scrape up any stuck on bits from the bottom of the pan before layering the shanks into the pan. Pour in the stock and tomatoes, bring to the boil, cover with a tight fitting lid (or foil) and put into a 150 degree oven for at least 3 hours.

3. The lamb should be tender and almost falling off the bone after 3 hours. Remove it from the pan and allow to rest while you make the gravy. Strain the stock into a fresh saucepan, pushing as much of the vegetables through as possible. Add the chickpeas to the strained stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for about ten minutes before mashing the chickpeas into the sauce. Strain again for a smooth finish and add a little lamb or beef stock if it's too thick.

4. Serve a shank per person on a bed of chive mashed potatoes and some roasted vegetables.

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.

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.