Pork Fest

Pork is such an amazingly versatile meat and one from which many of my favourite things are derived. Black pudding, jamon, brawn, and pork chops! You can literally use every thing on this noble beast from head to tail, and after all if you are going to kill an animal to eat it, the least you can do is to make use of every single last bit.

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

2 pork chops – buy them from a butcher. The pork served in supermarkets is reared too fast, is full of water, and will be disgustingly dry.

6 rashers of streaky bacon

Black pudding

Half a cauliflower

Oyster leaves

White wine vinegar

Pinch of sugar

Tarragon

Method:

1. Get the pork chop in the sous vide. I tried this one at 58c/136f for 10 hours but a couple of hours would be fine at this temperature.

2. Steam the cauliflower until very soft, then puree and pass through a sieve to get it super-smooth. Add butter and season.

3. Blanch a handful of the leaves and then blitz with a pinch of sugar and a glug of white wine vinegar to make the gastrique.

4. Fry the bacon and black pudding. When its crispy take the bacon and chop finely with a little tarragon. Retain the bacon fat that rendered off in the pan.

5. Remove the pork chop from the sous vide bag and dry on some paper towel then season again and fry in the bacon fat on a very high heat until beautifully browned.