If you’re having a small festive get together this year, try this German inspired roast pork dish as a great alternative to turkey. The savoury, spiced gingerbread stuffing is the perfect accompaniment to succulent pork.
SERVES 5
- 1.5kg boned rolled pork loin joint with scored skin
- 1 tsp fennel seeds, roughly crushed
- Half tsp cumin seeds, roughly crushed
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- Salt
FOR THE STUFFING
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cardamom pods, split outer case discarded, black seeds crushed
- 75g ginger biscuits, crushed
- 75g blackberries
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE BEER GRAVY
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 330ml German blonde beer
- 200ml chicken stock
- 2 tsp light muscovado sugar
- 1 tsp German or English mustard
- 100g blackberries
- Preheat the oven to 240C/220C fan/gas mark 9.
- Remove the string from the pork, open out flat with the rind downwards on a board then cut a long pocket about 5cm/2inch down the length of the joint in the thickest part of the meat.
- To make the stuffing, heat the oil in a small frying pan, add the onion and fry for 5 minutes until softened. Mix with the remaining stuffing ingredients then spoon into the pocket and the rest on top of the pork. Roll up and retie with fresh string.
- Put the joint in a roasting tin, rub the fennel and cumin seeds into the cuts in the rind and sprinkle with salt. Add 2 tbsp of oil to the base of the tin. Roast for 25 minutes.
- Lower the oven temperature to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4 for 20 minutes per 450g/1lb or until the meat juices run clear when the pork is pierced with a knife through the thickest part.
- Lift the pork out of the tin, put on to a serving plate and keep warm in a low oven. Drain the excess fat from the roasting tin then stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the beer and stock then mix in the sugar and mustard and bring to the boil, scraping up the bits from the bottom of the pan. Boil 2 minutes, stirring until thickened, strain into a bowl then pour back into the rinsed roasting tin. Add the blackberries, season with salt and pepper and bring back to the boil to warm the blackberries through. Pour into a serving dish.
- Remove the string from the pork then carve into slices and serve with the gravy.
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