Meat mains
Pork, cider and perl las blue with roasted pears, potatoes and parsnips
Our organic pork spare rib steaks are perfect for this oven-baked dinner. They're got just the right amount of fat marbled through the meat to stop them from drying out, so retain their juicy flavour and texture. You can also make this with pork chops, just add them a little later to the oven tray.
Cook's notes
Pork, pears and blue cheese are a classic flavour match, but we couldn't just give you those, so there are sweet roasted parsnips and potatoes in the mix too, with a splash of cider for extra flavour. It's a warming, simple supper with not much washing up to be done either.
Ingredients
- 400g potatoes
- 400g parsnips
- 2 pears
- oil for roasting and frying, e.g. sunflower or light olive
- 2 pork spare rib steaks
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 60ml cider
- 50g perl las blue cheese
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 210°C/Gas 6. Peel and chop the potatoes into wedges. Peel and chop the parsnip into thick batons. Cut the pears into quarters, then chop out the core. Toss the potatoes, parsnips and pears in a large roasting tin, with just enough oil to coat.
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Step 2
Season with salt and pepper. Once your oven is up to temperature, pop the tin in the oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, rub the pork steaks with a little oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan. When hot, add the pork and fry on both sides until lightly coloured.
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Step 3
You're not looking to cook it through, just brown it a little. Once done, smear the pork liberally on both sides with the mustard – use as much as you like (about half for mild, all for a stronger flavour). After 15 minutes, lightly toss the veg and pears. Lay the pork chops on top. Bake for 20 minutes.
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Step 4
Meanwhile, pick the leaves off the thyme sprigs. After 20 minutes, remove the meat from the oven. Pour the cider in and around the veg. Sprinkle over the thyme leaves. Break up the blue cheese into chunks and dot it over the veg. Replace the pork.
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Step 5
Bake for a further 15 minutes. The pork should be nicely coloured and well-cooked, the veg tender and the cheese melted in with the cider. Divide the veg, pears and pork between 2 serving plates and pour over any juices from the tin to serve.