Fine swine
"I just don’t dig on swine... I don’t eat filthy animals,” declared a very sexy Samuel L Jackson in the famous diner scene of Tarantino’s utterly marvellous and now iconic movie, Pulp Fiction.
Up until quite recently (when you’re my age that can be anything from five to 10 years), I would have whole-heartedly agreed with him. Not, you understand, for any particular health or religious reasons, and not, as SLJ’s character seems to believe, because they are dirty animals (they are, but it hardly matters when they are plucked, scrubbed and looking spiffy in polystyrene packaging). No, it was due to the fact that, back in the day, the pork cuts on offer in supermarkets pretty much consisted of pork leg chops and leg of pork… and, if you were very lucky, rack of ribs. One can’t help but wonder at the fate of the other pig bits back then.
So, in my house it was oil-drenched crumbed pork chops – nice but pretty tasteless, all things considered – and roasted leg complete with a fender of crackling that my younger, more paranoid self was convinced would make me fat for life (concern for my arteries had not yet manifested). It has only been in the last five years that the pork people and the butchers have finally joined forces to give us a wealth of pork cuts – all delicious, all affordable and many relatively low in fat.
Pork belly is on the menu of almost every trendy restaurant (its price has in turn escalated considerably). Cooked right, it’s great, but you have to navigate your way through mounds of fat and look very hard to find the meaty bits. Pork fillet is a favourite with all health-conscious carnivores and the chops from various body parts are prolific. But it is pork neck that is by far the most succulent, versatile and extraordinarily delicious cut of them all. Pick n Pay sells pork-neck chops – pan-fry them in a little butter and olive oil, then add verjuice, fresh sage, garlic and chicken stock, and braise until cooked to pale pink perfection, serve with cauliflower and potato mash, green beans and of course the pan juices – a mid-week meal to make a grown man (or woman) weep.
But better still is the whole neck. If you get yourself organised and properly plan your Sunday lunch, you can pop off to the butcher and order a deboned pork neck to roast. The recipe alongside and the gobsmackingly delicious results guarantee a soothing of family tensions, spousal gratitude that could lead to greater things and absolute proof that the swine is not so much filthy but indeed mighty fine!
Cider and herb roasted pork neck
Serves 6
1 pork neck, 1.6kg to 2kg, deboned
1 large bunch spring onions, chopped
¼ cup sage, finely chopped
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
4 fat cloves of garlic, crushed
3 T vino cotto (a naturally sweet/sour cooked wine syrup that contains no alcohol. You can find it on the shelves of PnP and good delis)
2 T Dijon mustard
salt and milled pepper
1 bottle (340ml) cider
1 cup chicken stock
4 fresh bay leaves
1. Unravel the pork neck and lay flat on a board.
2. Mix herbs, garlic, vino cotto and mustard together. Season well.
3. Spread the mixture over the pork, roll and secure with kitchen string as best you can. This is quite a messy business and is best done by two people.
4. Place the roll in a smallish roasting pan, pour over the cider and stock. (The size of the roasting pan is important; liquid should be about 5cm deep otherwise it will evaporate during cooking.)
5. Roast in a preheated 220ºC oven for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 160ºC and roast for a further 30 minutes per 500g or until done to your liking. Rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. Carve and serve with mashed potato, roasted parsnips and boiled beetroot.
Wine pairing: Chamonix Pinot Noir 2009
