Vanilla Cider Pork With Pears Recipe 55

Steps:

• I like to cut my medallions in 2-inch thickness, cover it with plastic and flatten them with a mallet (or a very heavy skillet). Season the flour with salt & pepper and whisk together. Dredge the pork in the flour. Set aside. In a large skillet (not nonstick), melt butter over medium-high heat. Add pears and sauté until lightly browned on all sides; remove from pan. Add a little bit of olive oil (1 to 2 tablespoons) to the pan and heat to medium high. Add pork medallions to the same pan, sautéing for 2 to 3 minutes on each side; turn over when golden brown and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more; remove from pan. Deglaze the pan by adding the white wine, on a medium high heat (or use broth instead of wine). Add cider and cream; add to the pan and bring to a boil, then add vanilla pod and seeds. You can also use vanilla paste instead, which is more cost effective. Boil the sauce until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Return pears and pork to the pan (pork on the bottom) along with any accumulated juices. Boil until thicker, about 4 to 6 minutes. (The sauce will also thicken a bit when it's removed from the heat.) Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Steps:

• To make the rub, put the ingredients in a pestle and mortar and crush together. Reserve ½ tsp of the rub and set aside. Cut some slashes into the underside of the pork using a sharp knife, then pat the rub all over the flesh, avoiding the skin. Put on a plate, skin-side up, and leave to cure in the fridge for at least 3 hrs.
• Remove the pork from the fridge at least 30 mins before cooking so it comes to room temperature. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Pat the reserved rub over the pork skin, and rub a little rapeseed oil all over. Put the carrot, celery, onion, star anise and bay leaves in a large flameproof roasting tin. Pour over a small glass of water, then place the pork on top, skin-side up. Roast for 1 hr 30 mins. Arrange the pears in the tin around the pork, coating them in the juices, and pour the cider into the tin, avoiding the pork skin (if the skin gets wet, you won't end up with crisp crackling). Turn the oven up to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and roast for a further 15-20 mins. The pork skin should be crisp, and the pears glazed in the juices. Remove the pork from the tin. Leave to rest for 45 mins.
• Transfer the pork to a serving platter. Gently lift the pears out of the tin and arrange next to the pork. Discard the carrot, celery, onion and bay, then skim some of the fat from the surface of the juices (you can transfer this fat to a jar and use it for cooking roast potatoes, or making rillettes, and more).
• Put the roasting tin with the skimmed juices on the hob over a medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk it into the juices until smooth and thickened. Add a splash of hot water if it becomes too thick. Pour the gravy into a warm jug. Cut the pork into portions with a sharp knife, then serve with the roasted pear quarters, the gravy, and some roast potatoes and steamed greens, if you like.

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Season pork with dried sage, salt and pepper. Coat pork with flour; shake off excess. Add pork to skillet and sauté until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to platter.
• Drain fat from skillet. Add pears and sauté over medium heat 2 minutes. Stir in wine, sugar and ginger, scraping up any browned bits. Increase heat to high and boil until pears are tender and syrup is thick, about 5 minutes. Return pork and any accumulated juices to skillet. Simmer just until cooked through, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange pork on plates. Spoon sauce over and serve.