FOOD Slow Roasted Pork with Fennel

OK this is not a wargames post, but I did get to do some painting between stages if that counts.

 

I just love this dish and have been doing it for a few years now. Pork Shoulder is one of the cheapest cuts available and is often overlooked by many shoppers as they expect it to be either or both tough or lacking in taste. They are missing both a bargain and a tasty joint. This is my favourite pork dish.

 

1 small pork shoulder

10 garlic cloves

60g fennel seeds

4-6 small dried chillies or chili flakes to taste

olive oil (enough to bind the mix)

juice of 3-5 lemons

3 table spoons olive oil (I like lemon or chili flavoured olive oil)

salt and pepper

 

First stage takes awhile or is quick if you have a gismo. Take a large pestle and mortar (herb grinder or as I sometimes use a electric coffee grinder!) and in batches bash, mix and pound the garlic cloves, fennel, chillies and some olive oil into a very rough paste add a little S&P to taste. You need the garlic and oil to hold the mixture together, no need for it to be broke down fully. It should look something like this.

Marble P&M so I could bash away!

Take the pork, give it a quick wash and then make deep cuts into the meat and skin with a utility knife, you want these cuts to be about 1cm apart max. This takes awhile and you need to keep your mind on the job! Next rub the mix all over the pork but make sure you get some into the cuts and as deep as you can, this will help add a bit of extra flavour to the meat in the roll.

No need to worry when a fair amount drops off, it's the reason you use so much!

Pop on the oven to 210 C if a fan oven. If not pre-heat to 230 C(450 F) and leave for about 30 mins or until the skin starts to blister and brown. Take out, turn over and using the lemon juice and olive oil mix drizzle over the pork trying to get into the folds and cuts.

First turn and spooning.

Drop the temp to 120 C, it needs at least 8 hours but the longer the better. I've left it in for 12 hours for good results. Just needs taking out, turning and more olive oil/lemon juice mix spooning on.

And again.

I tend to do this every hour and a half to two hours but am not really fixed on time. For instance I took the kids to the park for a few hours and just worked round that.

Starting to blacken on the edges.

The outer edges start to blacken which is fine, that's just what it is supposed to do. By the time you are finished it has a great deal of blackened outer areas but these taste so nice, not a taste of burnt at all.

Crackling coming on.

The crackling starts to become hard and that's when I have to ban Cath from the kitchen, you can also see some of the red chili flakes showing through. Just looking at it makes me want to eat it again LOL.

It tastes better than I carve.

The met is impossible to carve (or eat with refinement) so looks a a mess but the taste was great. I just boiled some veg (as I can't have steamed anymore) and roast tats salted at the roasting. So I challenge some of you lot to have a go, maybe get as a reward more time painting?