This is a great looking dish that can be made without much fuss, a lot of the items being well suited to pre-preparation.
The combination fragrant elements of rose and red peppercorn to classic pairings for pork like sage and mustard works really well, adding another dimension to the already tried and tested.
I favour a sous vide for this kind of cooking, especially as pork loin is a supremely challenging thing to cook right if you aren’t able to hold the temperature constant. It is however possible to cook this same dish just frying the pork loin first or throwing in the oven for 20 mins before applying the rub.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
(Serves 2)
1 pork loin (around 4-500 g)
Broccoli stem
2 medium floury potatoes
Dijon mustard
Sauce: Red wine, bay leaf, carrot, onion, Madeira, Pedro Jimenez
Rub: Dried rose petals, red pepper corns, sage
Method:
1. Season the pork loin liberally and place with a knob of butter into a food-safe ziplock bag. Place in the sous vide at 65c/149 f for 1.5 to 2 hours. If you don’t have a sous vide ignore this step and fry the loin gently in butter before step 8.
2. Get the potatoes on the boil in lightly salted water. The salt will season the flesh and also helps dry them out before mashing.
3. Thinly slice about a quarter stem of broccoli using a mandolin or just sharp knife. Pour over s little white wine vinegar and let sit.
4. Next make the sauce. Pour a quarter of a bottle of drinkable red wine into a pan with various veg you have to hand (carrot,leak,onion) etc. It’s not an exact science, just see what works. Add aromatics like peppercorn, coriander seed, bay etc. And you can enhance the sauce with other booze you had sitting around like ruby port, brandy, Madeira, Pedro Jimenez etc. It all works! Now reduce down until just over a cup. Strain and mount with lots of butter. If you can be bothered, straining through muslin, or even a coffee filter will give a beautiful clear finish, but it’s totally not necessary. The butter will thicken it further and give that deep glossy look you get in restaurant sauces.
5. Place the bacon on a non-stick mat or tray and bake in the oven for about 15-20 mins at 180c/356.
6. Make the rub by pounding the red pepper corns and rose in a pestle and mortar. Mix with finely chopped fresh sage and a pinch of good salt.
7. Once the potatoes are soft (30-45 mins of boiling) get them out into a sieve and let steam as long as possible. The drier they are, the better the mash will be. Put the through a potato ricer. Do not what ever you do be tempted to put them in a blender – the blades break down the starch and it into wallpaper paste. Add lots of butter and a spoonful of Dijon mustard. Keep warm.
8. When the pork is cooked and rested, season again, brush with mustard and roll in the spice mix.
9. Plate: Thickly slice the pork loin and arrange 2-3 pieces per person. Pipe or spoon potato purée, and garnish with the pickled broccoli stem and bacon. Pour the sauce liberally around the base of the plate and serve immediately.
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