Recipes

Donal Skehan recipe: Maple apple pork with garden pea Caesar salad

Donal Skehan
Sat Jun 17 2017 - 00:00
Serves: 4
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 0 hr 35 mins
Ingredients
  • Serves 4
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus extra for brushing
  • 4 pork loin cutlets, bashed until 1/2cm in thickness
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 small red onion, peeled and finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 4 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 4 tbsp apple juice
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • Large handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped, plus extra to garnish
  •  
  • For the salad:
  • 200g of frozen peas, cooked and drained
  • 1 head romaine lettuce, leaves torn
  • A small handful of parsley, leaves picked
  •  
  • For the Caesar dressing:
  • 1 medium egg
  • 2 anchovy fillets (from a jar or tin)
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 100ml rapeseed oil (or olive oil)
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

A platter of this pork would be a welcome addition at any summer occasion. Serve with leaves, a roast potato salad or the Caesar pea salad below. Anchovies are an important addition to this Caesar dressing as they add the rounded, salty kick it needs.

First, make the Caesar dressing. Put the egg, anchovy fillets, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice in a mini food processor and process until just combined. With the motor running, gradually add the rapeseed oil and process until thick and creamy. Season with salt and pepper and add a little water if you find the dressing a little thick.

Before the pork has finished cooking, transfer the dressing to a mixing bowl and toss together with the peas, lettuce and parsley.

Melt the butter with the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Pat the pork chops dry with a little kitchen paper and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Add the chops to the pan and brown on both sides.

When the meat has a good colour, add the onion and fry for about 30 seconds. Then pour in the vinegar, maple syrup, soy sauce and apple juice and heat until the sauce is bubbling. Baste the meat well and continue to cook for eight minutes or until the pork has cooked through and the onions have reduced.

When the chops are cooked, transfer to a warmed plate and reduce the sauce over a medium heat for a few minutes until slightly thickened – add a splash of water if required. Add the coriander and stir through.

Pour the sauce over the pork and serve alongside the prepared salad.

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