Village Squire, 1976-07, Page 27Squire's Chef
Making the best use
of our top-notch pork
BY RON RUDD
The fine porkers of Western Ontario
need not feel slighted at my praise of the beef
of the area last month. This month we shall
provide ample evidence that they are not
forgotten.
Upon getting into books about pork, it
became increasingly evident that fhe pig i,
being slighted. Pork chops and ham occupy
the greater part of the literature. Sausage and
roasts are barely mentioned. Spare -rib, get
some comment In one cookbook, 14 different
ways of preparing chops to one for roasts, is
an example of the overwhelming
discrimination
Roast port is as deli( ious as any meat in
existence It roasts well without any
preparation at all Most writers insist that the
only pee 1. to roast is the loin The loin is
magnificent but other parts roast equally
well.
Iry buy mg it %%hole loin. Bone it and c ut it
in hell (erossys.eys that is). Put the hyo helves
together. tat side out. and till the centre with
a nice sage and union dressing. Tie carefully
every inch and around, end to end. Use lots of
freshly ground black pepper and sea salt on
the outside. Now halve the bone and make a
rack in the roasting pan. Place the roast on
the bone rack and cook at 150 (degree F. for 35
to 45 minutes per pound. (185 degrees F. on a
meat thermometer.) Pork must be thoroughly
cooked.
This roast %sill he aura( tete le !,russo un the
outside, %u( olent and 6'1101111;11V I favoured.
Let it set tor 20 minutes below, she nig. Use a
raior ,harp knife, (the one you sharpened tor
that beet last month) The bone rack is
delicious too It is like spareribs to nibble.
The gravy is exceptionally good it the fat is
drained oft and ,tock or water•added. 1 If ken
with cornstarch or arrowroot.
Try putting pitted prunes between the
parts of the boned loin, about five or six per
pound. Soak the pitted prune, in hot Dater
first, keeping the liquid Use salt, pepper and
ginger on the outside Cook this in a heavy
pan on top of the stove. Use cast iron or
aluminum. Brown the roast first and then
cover and cook until tender 1185 degrees 1 ,
inside remember). Baste oee.esionall' %lith
the reserved prune wale,. kV -it nMl Ihere are
two roast ideas
Try carav%ay seeds Joel nu.sl.0 ! .;I ng s.Ith
the salt and pepper urs lice. , , r 1 lists I3e
brive, experiment! Remember pork will
respond to the mon. •,.!,eis. herbs Rosemary,
sage. garlic, paprir, lid. a (delightful. lull
colour)., basil •!;!; c.. lard, ginger. thyme
and lesion Ion e are all e ompatible. Have a go
but be ,lire• 5 . rr roast is thnrnuohh,
Let's not ignore chops. Try butterfly pork
chops and impress your family. You need one
thick chop per person The thickness must be
double the thickness you like in a chop. Now
remove the bone caretully with a very sharp
knife. The trick no55 is to split the thick chop
in halt beginning at the tat side and cutting
through paretic! to• the surtace ot the chop
toward the hone side Do Not Cut All the Way
Through. Spread apart to give a butterfly
shape and press tlat.
After browning each butterfly in butter,
remove to .a warm place and saute a large
onion in butter. Add 1 tsp. flour, 2 tsp. salt, 2
tsps. mustard, black pepper and 1 cup of
stock. Simmer this about 5 - 6 minutes,
stirring to prevent lumps. Return the chops
and spoon sauce over them, simmering until
tender Again be sure they are cooked.
Chops with herbs, chops with chilli sauce,
chops with garlic, chops with sour cream,
chops with mustard and pickle, stuffed chops
and chops with cream gravy. Oh what a list'
Try chops marinated in coconut milk and
sprinkled ,.sith brown sugar. These are
delicious of you c,an get a coconut. I suggest
you c hock a 1 ar. East cookbook for ways to
prepare coconut milk. It is not the watery
liquid in the centre ot the ripe coconuts we get
here. Some use unsweetenededried shredded
coconut but it is inferior to the fresh:
Did you ever think. of roasting a suckling
pig? Ten to titteen pounds is ideal and will
give eight to ten servings. Some will roast
whole carcasses up to 30 pounds. The carcass
should be thoroughly washed inside and out,
dried with lint free material and rubbed with
a mixture ot salt, black pepper and thyme, or
basil
Stott the cavity or not as you wish. The
larger the carcass, the less desirable is
stuffing.. Lace closed if stuffed. Put a potato in
the mouth and cover ears to prevent burning,
using oiled brown paper. Don't use foil for
this Roast on a rack in an open pan at 350
degrees F about 20 minutes. per pound. It is
wise to make a trough of foil on top of the rack
so the juices remain around the piglet. -
lust before the finish of roasting brush with
a mixture of water and mustard or ginger to
give a nice colour Transti r to your largest,
most attractive platter. Replace the potato
with a brightly coloured apple. Surround the
whole with parsley and spiced crabapples.
Some place cherries in, the eyes also. The
drippings in the foil may be skimmed and
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VILLAGE SQUIRE/JULY 1976, 25