Make Ahead Normandy Pork With Cider Oamc Recipes

IRISH ROAST PORK WITH CIDER CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• In small bowl, mix oil, garlic, sage, thyme, or 1/2 tsp crumbled dried sage and thyme) salt and pepper; rub all over roast. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.).
• Place roast on rack in roasting pan. Roast in 375°F (190°C) oven (or 350°F/180°C in convection oven) until meat thermometer inserted into centre registers 160°F (71°C), about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Transfer to cutting board; tent with foil and let stand for 15 minutes before slicing.
• Cider Cream: Meanwhile, skim fat from pan juices. Add butter and melt over medium heat; fry apples and onion, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add cider and bring to boil, scraping up any brown bits. Stir in stock, cream and mustard; boil until reduced by half, about 8 minutes.
• In small bowl, combine cornstarch with 1 tbsp (25 mL) cold water; whisk into sauce and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute. Serve with pork. Serves 8.
• Canadian Living Magazine: March 2007.

CROCK POT NORMANDY PORK WITH APPLES, SHALLOTS & CIDER

Steps:

• Trim the pork of any thick fat. Cut into large cubes of about 4" square or even bigger - it shrinks with cooking & works better with larger pieces of meat.
• Peel the shallots and set to one side.
• Halve & core the apples and set to one side with the shallots.
• Turn the crockpot onto High. Mix the cider, cider apple vinegar, creme fraiche, salt & pepper, thyme & thickened chicken stock together in a large pouring jug & pour into the crockpot.(If using fresh thyme - leave to last.) Add the cored and halved apples and replace the lid whilst you brown the pork & shallots.
• Heat up half the butter & half of the olive oil in a large skillet or wok-type pan, one with fairly high sides.
• As soon as it is smoking but not burning, brown the shallots in batches - you want a deep caramelised colour & the shallots just softened on the outside. When all the shallots have been done, put them all back into the pan - turn up the heat & add the balsamic vinegar and stir briskly making sure all the shallots are well coated.
• Add the shallots & Balsamic vinegar mixture to the crockpot.
• Heat up the remaining butter and oil, adding more if necessary & start to brown the pork pieces, again do not overcrowd the pan - they need to be well coloured & seared to seal in the juices. As the pork pieces are browned, add them to the crockpot.
• When all the pork is browned & added to the crockpot, give all the ingredients a good mix around in the crockpot with a wooden spoon. If using fresh thyme, pick about 4 large sprigs and place on top of the Normandy Pork - the leaves fall off during cooking & leave the bare branches for throwing away!
• Cook on high for between 6 - 10 hours.
• Just before serving, pour in Calvados and mix through. Serve each person with 2 -3 pieces of pork, a cooked apple half & 1 or 2 shallots; add a dollop of creme fraiche on the side & garnish with Thyme & a fresh Apple sliver if desired. Decant the excess sauce into a gravy boat for extra saucy bits!
• Great with spiced red cabbage, fluffy mashed potatoes or pommes Dauphinoise.
• To cook in an conventional oven, follow recipe as above, but cook in a La Creuset type oven proof dish; pre-heat oven to 175 C or 350 F and cook slowly for about 6 hours, checking after 4 hours. It will cook quite happily for up to 8 hours if this helps in your time management, you may have to turn the oven down to about 125 C, 250 F after 4 hours for a long slow 8 hour cooking time.