pork

Free Range Pork Loin with Pumpkin Puree & Apple, Cider & Sultana Relish

As featured in Market Harborough Magazine

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 4 x 200g Pork Loin Steaks preferably free range (available from Bates Butchers, Market Harborough)
  • 1x Small Pumpkin or Butternut Squash. Around 1.5kg in weight
  • 1x Large Cooking Apple
  • 400ml Cider
  • ½ x Lemon
  • 1x Baking Potato
  • 150g Salted Butter
  • 50g Sultana’s
  • 50g Sugar
  • ½ x Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 1x Tablespoon Sunflower Oil
  • 1/3 x Beef Stock Cube
  • 1x Diced Shallot
  • Salt & Pepper for seasoning

 Method

  1. Peel potato and dice to 2cm cubes. Do the same with the pumpkin discarding the seeds as you go. Place into a pan of hot water with a pinch of salt and cook on a high heat for 15 mins or until nice and soft.
  2. Peel apple discarding the core and seeds and dice into 1cm cubes. Place into a pan with 100ml of cider, sultanas, juice of lemon, cinnamon and sugar. Cook on a medium heat for 6-8mins stirring occasionally. The apples should be nicely cooked down but still have a slight bite.
  3. Whilst methods 1 and 2 are cooking, Place a non stick pan on a high heat with the sunflower oil in and leave to heat up. When nice and hot place your pork steaks into the pan and season. Seal both sides until nicely caramelised. Turn your heat down to a medium heat and continue to cook each side for 5 minutes. When cooked the pork will still be slightly pink in the middle. If you like it cooked more, leave them in the pan until they are cooked to your liking. When satisfied with the cooking of your pork take out of pan and leave to rest in a warm place on a plate.
  4. Turn the heat back up on your pan and add the diced shallot. When nicely caramelised, add the remaining cider along with 1/3 of a beef stock cube. Reduce this liquor down by ½. When ready turn heat off and whisk in 100g of butter. Be careful not to split the sauce.
  5. Drain pumpkin when cooked and push with the back of a spoon to drain as much water as possible. Then return to your pan and mash with a potato masher or use a stick blender to get a smoother puree. Add remaining butter and season to taste.
  6. To plate, place a generous portion of puree on the plate and drag through with the back of a spoon. Slice your pork which is now nicely rested and place to one side of the puree. Place a spoonful of relish on top of the pork and spoon around your sauce. 
  7. Serve with red cabbage and winter greens

Wine Choice

A nice wine to accompany this pork dish would be the Organic Ruins Chardonnay Viognier from South Africa which you will find in Duncan Murray Wines on Adam & Eve street. This wine has lemon citrus flavours found in the chardonnay and lovely ripe peaches and apricots from the Viognier, A great all rounder with bags of fruit!!