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I’ve cooked this recipe for over 20 years and its relative simplicity coupled with using an economical cut of pork makes this a great Autumn warmer. The vibrant colour of the finished dish helps brighten those dark evenings and makes a pleasant change from the brown meat stews we often turn to at this time of year. The recipe is similar to a Hungarian goulash with paprika, onions and red pepper but pork is substituted for the beef and cider for the stock. I cook this in the slow cooker which helps tenderise the meat but slow oven cooking is fine too. Make on a wet Sunday afternoon, chill and then re-heat for a brilliant and comforting weeknight meal.
I prefer to use a medium style cider – too dry and you may need to add a pinch of sugar to the pan to balance the paprika and mustard.
Serves 4
Preparation approx 25 mins, cooking time 2 to 3 hours
Approx 500g of Boneless Pork Shoulder Steaks
300ml of medium dry cider
1 large onion
1 small or ½ red pepper
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon of paprika
2 tablespoons of tomato puree
1 teaspoon of English or Dijon mustard
25g butter
25g of flour
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of crème fraiche (optional)
Pre heat the oven to 140CFan/160 Conv/Gas 3 or preheat your slow cooker if using.
Peel and slice the onions and as we’re slow cooking the dish I don’t cut the onions too fine.
Slice the pepper into fine strips and peel and crush the garlic.
Place a deep frying pan over a medium high heat and warm a tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot add the onions and garlic and stir to coat well with the hot olive oil. Cover and turn the heat down and cook for 6 to 8 mins until soft and translucent.
Add the pepper strips and cook covered for another couple of mins.
After that time tip the onions, garlic, and peppers into a bowl and set aside.
Put the pan back on the heat and once again raise the temperature to medium high. Drizzle the pork steaks with olive oil and rub all over (I use my hands) and when the pan is nice and hot add the meat. Let the pork colour and sizzle on one side for a couple of mins before flipping over and repeating and then removing from the pan.
Turn the heat down to medium low and add the butter, allow it to melt before you add the flour. Stir together and cook for a few minutes – don’t be tempted to skip this step and add the liquid too quickly as this helps the flour ultimately absorb the liquid and create a lump free sauce.
Stir in the paprika, tomato puree and mustard and cook for a further minute or so before slowly adding the cider and stirring or whisking to create a thickening sauce. If it looks too thick add 50ml or so of water. Bring the sauce to a gentle bubble before returning the vegetables and then the meat to the pan. Season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To cook either transfer to the heated slow cooker for 30 mins on the high setting and then 2 to 3 hours on low,
or
Transfer to an ovenproof lidded casserole and cook in the preheated oven for approx 2 hours.
Check after an hour that the dish isn’t bubbling too fiercely as gentle slow cooking is what you want (turn the temperature down by 10C if necessary).
Just before serving add a tablespoon of crème fraiche to enhance the wonderful sauce – but omit if you prefer, it’s still just as tasty.
If making in advance remove from the oven and allow to cool before refrigerating. This will happily keep for 48hours in the fridge before reheating gently on the hob for 10 to 15 mins on a medium low heat.
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