Peachy pork

Ingredients

  • 330ml (1 1/3 cups) apple cider
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 4 pork cutlets (or butterflied pork steaks)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Small red onion, finely sliced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 250ml (1 cup) peach nectar
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 2 freestone peaches, washed and each cut into 6 segments, stones removed
  • chilli vinegar (see recipe on this blog) or lemon juice, to taste
  • coriander leaves, to garnish

Note

This dish revives the traditional (and very harmonious) agricultural marriage of pigs and peaches in the early colony.

Serves 4

Directions

Mix 125 ml (1/2 cup) of the apple cider with the sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Season the pork with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper, pour the cider over and put the meat in the fridge for at least an hour to marinate.
Meanwhile, to make the sauce, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat and sauté the onion, garlic and ginger for 5–10 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the remaining cider and simmer for 15 minutes or until the aromats have softened, then add the peach nectar, cloves and a pinch of salt to taste. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, then set aside to allow the flavours to develop.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan-forced).
Drain and discard the marinade from the pork. Heat the remaining olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the pork turning occasionally, until it has browned on all sides. Transfer the meat to a shallow ovenproof dish. Add 125 ml (1/2 cup) of water to deglaze the pan, then pour the liquid over the pork. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes or until the pork is cooked through (the time will depend on the thickness of the meat). Remove the pork from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Add any pan juices to the sauce.
While the meat is resting, gently reheat the sauce, removing the cloves. Add the peach and poach for 5–10 minutes or until softened to your liking. Add a good splash of chilli vinegar or lemon juice and season to taste.

Arrange the pork on serving plates and spoon the sauce and peach slices over the meat. Garnish with coriander leaves.

This recipe appeared in the post Peach-pickled pigs on September 26, 2013.

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