Pork & gammon
Pork, cider and sweet winter vegetable casserole
This warming, winter main calls for a few preparatory steps, but it needs little attention once it's in the oven. It's a great way of spinning pork out to feed a crowd. There's no need to be at all exact with the veg you include. Serve with mash, polenta or crusty bread to sop up the juices.
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 6 shallots, left whole
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 6 carrots, peeled
- 3 parsnips, peeled
- 125g mushrooms
- 900g diced pork
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 500ml cider
- sprig rosemary
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Heat some oil in a sauté pan and fry off the shallots over a high heat until browned, remove with a slotted spoon to the casserole dish, sprinkle over the garlic.
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Step 2
Cut the carrots and parsnips into chunky batons. Fry them off with the mushrooms until golden and add them to the pot with the shallots and garlic.
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Step 3
Season the diced pork and sprinkle over the flour. Add to the sauté pan, with a little more oil if necessary and brown on all sides (you will have to do this in 2-3 batches) and again remove to the casserole. By now the sauté pan will be crusted with cooked flour and caramelised juices - and you don't want to lose any of those colours and flavours.
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Step 4
Add the cider to the pan and scrape around with a wooden spatula to incorporate them, then turn up the heat and simmer until the cider is reduced slightly.
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Step 5
Pour over the pork and vegetables, add the sprig of rosemary to the pot, pop the lid on and transfer to the oven for 45-50 minutes or until the meat is tender.
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Step 6
Stir once during cooking time to ensure that the flour isn't sticking to the bottom of the casserole, and if there's too much liquid then remove the lid for the final 15 minutes of cooking time. Discard the rosemary before serving.
