Meat mains
Pork spare rib steaks with pear and Stilton butter
'Pork spare rib steaks are incredibly underrated as a cut. They come from the neck fillet which Italians cure into coppa di Parma and sell for nearly as much as prosciutto. More often than not, recipes for pork chops will also work with spare rib steaks and they will always take on the flavours from a marinade.' (Ben Watson)
Ingredients
- 60g Stilton, crumbled
- 80g butter, softened
- 4 firm pears, halved and cored
- 2 red onions, cut into wedges
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 pork spare rib steaks
- 1 tbsp soft, dark brown sugar
- salt and pepper
Method
-
Step 1
To make the herb butter, combine the Stilton and butter and chill. Preheat oven to 200°C/Gas 6.
-
Step 2
Put the pears (cut side down) and onions in a roasting tin along with the thyme and drizzle over half the olive oil. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper and put the pork steaks on top. Brush over the remaining oil and season again with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pork is lightly golden.
-
Step 3
Reduce the oven temperature to 190°C/Gas 5, remove the steaks, turn the pears and onions over and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Replace the steaks (other way up) and cook for another 35 minutes until the steaks look nicely browned.
-
Step 4
Put a blob of herb butter on each steak and allow to melt. Serve with a green salad with plenty of bitter leaves to balance the sweetness of the pears and the pork.
