I absolutely love the autumn months. I love the colours, the crisp mornings and cosy evenings
in knitted blankets. But most importantly I love cooking delicious plates of comforting food to soothe the soul and keep everyone warm.
This slow cooked pork features tender pieces of meat that melt in the mouth in a delicious creamy cider sauce. All finished off with soft leeks and the delicious smell and taste of sage- one of my all tile favourite herbs.
Meal prep is always my saviour and this recipe is perfect for doubling up and freezing extra portions all ready for those busy days. I even prep and freeze mashed potatoes! Boil a truck load of potatoes as normal and mash until smooth. Set aside what you need for that meal and add butter/milk/seasoning and freeze the remaining potatoes just as they are. Then simply defrost and add your milk/butter/seasoning before serving. If you freeze it with all the extras in, it can split when being reheated and resemble some
scrambled eggs!
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!
Slow-Cooked Pork and Cider Casserole with Sage
Serves 6
4 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra
1kg pork shoulder cut into 1 inch pieces
4 leeks, trimmed and thickly sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp plain flour
500ml dry cider
400ml chicken stock
½ small bunch parsley, finely chopped
10 sage leaves, finely chopped
100ml single cream
Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans or broccoli
Method
1. Heat the oven to 150°C.
2. Heat half of the oil in a deep ovenproof frying pan and fry the pork pieces in batches over a high heat until seared all over. Then transfer to an ovenproof dish and repeat. For the last batch, once browned, add the garlic and the flour and cook for a further couple of minutes.
3. Pour in the cider and stock, a little at a time, stirring to pick up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan and to combine everything. Then pour into the ovenproof dish with the other browned pork.
4. Seal tightly with tin foil and slow cook in the oven for 2 hours. Meanwhile, you can prep the mash (if you’re having it) and slice all the leeks into 1cm slices.
5. After 2 hours, carefully lift the foil and give the pork a stir. Scatter the chopped leeks and half the sage over the top. Re-cover with the foil and cook for a Further hour.
6. Take the pork from the oven and using a slotted spoon, remove the meat and leeks from the dish abs set aside in deep bowl. Cover with the foil to keep warm.
7. Decant the sauce into a pan on a medium heat. Stir in the parsley and remaining chopped sage, and season well to taste. Bring the sauce to a boil and leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes until slightly reduced and thickened. Stir in the cream and give it another taste for seasoning.
8. Pour the sauce over the pork, give it a stir and get ready to serve! I think this is perfect with a dollop of buttery mash and some steamed green veggies!