Mustard-Braised Pork Neck with Prunes
The multiplicity of favours to be had from mustard-braised pork neck with prunes calls for the versatility of Merlot. By Lannice Snyman.
I am prepared to travel vast distances and part with a fair amount of cash to buy the best farmreared pork (the meat of happy pigs reared without growth hormones and steroids is way tastier than that from their pale and uninteresting mass-farmed cousins).
Pork is a versatile meat that enjoys hearty, basic cooking methods and doesn't do elegance well. Think braaied chops, pan-fried loins, succulent, slow-cooked belly strips, roasts trapped in crusty crackling - and this succulent pot-roasted neck that is perfect for when friends descend and there's no time to faff about in the kitchen. It pretty much gets on with it while you're busy doing other things.
Pork is good with a vast range of sidekicks such as root vegetables, white beans and olives. In terms of flavouring, pork adores garlic, a hint of anchovy, citrus juice and zest, and all types of mustard. As far as herbs are concerned, stay with sturdier types like rosemary, thyme, sage and lavender.
Pork and fruit are also good chums, though this can be challenging in the wine-matching department. It's a good idea to tone down the sweetness with lemon juice, wine, verjuice or whisky, as in this recipe. Good wholegrain mustard (a mixture of ground and half-ground
mustard seeds, for taste and mouth-pleasing texture) is another key ingredient. The most famous grainy French mustard, Moutarde de Meaux, made from a closely guarded secret recipe, has a rounded flavour and comes in wide-mouthed jars closed with sealing wax.
Mustard-Braised Pork Neck with Prunes
Serves 8
1 whole boned, rolled pork neck (about 2kg)
Salt and milled black pepper
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup wholegrain mustard
Butter and vegetable oil
¾ cup whisky
2 cups good beef or chicken stock
4 T chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 T chopped sage
250g sun-dried prunes
If the pork hasn't been rolled in a net
bag by your butcher, truss neatly with
string. Season with salt and pepper. Mix
together the brown sugar and mustard
and smear over the meat.
Heat a generous amount of butter
and oil in a heavy saucepan over
medium heat and seal the meat all
over, rolling it about in the pan. Watch
carefully; the coating may burn if the heat is too high or
if you're distracted from the job at hand.
Warm half the whisky, pour over the meat, and flame.
When the flames die down, add the stock, parsley and
sage. Turn the meat in the sauce, cover and simmer
very gently for 1½ to 2 hours, depending on the size
of the pork neck. Turn the meat in the sauce from time
to time so that it flavours and cooks evenly. Add the
prunes 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
Lift the pork from the sauce, remove the net bag
(string can remain on until you've carved the meat) and
place on a warm platter with the prunes. Cover with foil
and keep warm. Add the remaining whisky to the sauce
and boil uncovered until it thickens slightly.
Carve the meat into thickish slices, pour the sauce
over and garnish with prunes.
Photograph by Neil Corder.
