Tag: pork mince

Dan Toomb’s Pork Keema Vindaloo

.Reading time 3 minutes.

Serves: 8

Wait!

Before you dismiss this as another pork vindaloo – something I’ve previously typed up – it isn’t.

For starters, it’s pork mince.

(And that is a win in itself.)

Secondly, this spicy mince is going in a buttery roti with hot sauce and shredded cheese as a late Saturday, tequila (or whatever you prefer) shot hit-the-spot dinner.

Turn the lights down, turn the music up and dance in the kitchen sort of food that’s going to get you well past midnight.

A few years back, I thought of creating a category on this blog called “Saturday Night Drunk” to hoover up all the late night recipes you should plan for a great Saturday night in. (Pro tip: try this homemade kebab or Matt Preston’s “Cheat’s Lamb Pide” or this amazing thin-crust Pide with Lamb Topping (Lahmacun).

I didn’t (rightly or wrongly) add the category to my blog though if I had, I’d pin this pork vindaloo to the top.

Nuts good. Just add tequila and music. Another faultless Dan Toombs Indian.

Ingredients

For the marinade

1 tsp chilli powder
1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground fenugreek
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
4 green chillies, finely chopped
5 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 tbsp tamarind concentrate
7 garlic cloves, smashed
2.5cm piece of ginger, chopped

For the curry

800gm pork mince
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
10 fresh curry leaves
2 onions, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
Salt
Juice of one lime
Rotis, hot sauce and shredded cheese to wrap it all up

Ingredients

  1. Place all the marinade ingredients in a blender and and blend to a paste.
  2. Using your hands, mix the marinade with the meat and refrigerate for 30 minutes or ideally, overnight.
  3. When ready to cook, heat the oil over a high heat in a heavy pan. When visibly hot, add the mustard seeds and when they begin to pop, stir in the curry leaves and fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Stir in the chopped onion and fry until soft and translucent.
  5. Then add the chopped tomatoes and the marinated meat (with all the marinade). Brown the meat, stirring regularly until it is all cooked through. Cook until all of the liquid has been reduced.
  6. Check for seasoning and add salt to taste: and the lime juice.
  7. Serve on top of hot rotis (chapattis): add grated cheese and hot sauce and thank me later.

Matty Matheson’s Meatball Sub

.Reading time 4 minutes.

Serves: 8

Nat said these meatballs were the best she has ever had and I’m not going to lie.

They are.

Add the marinara sauce, the mozzarella and the focaccia and this is just heaven.

It’s the sum of the parts that make this brilliant. No expenses spared.

Matty believes these subs should be served as single meatball portions, though did whole meatball subs and the kids absolutely loved it.

Which is not to say this isn’t something Nat and I wouldn’t cook again and again.

Just for us.

Which is why I am typing it.

Go Matty Matheson!

Ingredients

1 c dry breadcrumbs
2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
6 garlic cloves, minced, plus 1 clove for rubbing the focaccia
1 c flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 tbsp salt
Freshly cracked pepper
1 tbsp chopped oregano leaves
1 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
1 c grated Pecorino Romano
Olive oil
500gm ground beef
500gm ground pork
500gm ground veal
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 c Marinara (recipe follows)
1 large focaccia
250gm mozzarella sliced into 16 slices

Marinara (makes 6 cups)

800gm canned tomatoes
1 c olive oil
1 red onion, finely diced
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch basil
2 tbsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Method

  1. In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk, mixing them thoroughly, and let stand for 10 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are hydrated. Add the eggs, onion, garlic, parsley, salt, black pepper, oregano, Parmigiano, Pecorino, and a dash of olive oil and mix everything until combined.
  2. Next add the beef, pork and veal. Use your hands to really work the meat until everything comes together into a nice homogenous mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and let the mixture sit in the fridge for 1 hour.
  3. After the mixture has rested, portion the mixture into golf ball sized balls. In a medium bowl, add the flour. Gently dust each meatball with the flour.
  4. Preheat your oven to 180c.
  5. Pour 1.5cm of olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet and bring it up over medium heat. Brown the meatballs in batches, about 10 minutes on all sides. Be gentle. Transfer the cooked meatballs to a large baking dish and cover them with marinara. Bake for 30 minutes.
  6. Slice the focaccia down the middle and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Grill or toast until olive-oil side is golden brown. Rub both grilled sides with a sliced piece of garlic.
  7. Preheat your grill on high. Spread the meatballs over the bottom half of the toasted focaccia. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano and place a slice of mozzarella over each meatball. Place onto a baking sheet and grill until the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned: 5 minutes. Coat the meatballs in the marinara mixture and the remaining slice of focaccia. If serving individually, skewer each meatball or cut it up however you want.
  8. For the marinara: in a heavy pot, warm the olive oil and add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes, helping to break them down. Turn the heat down, add the basil an allow the sauce to simmer for 1 hour or more.
  9. Remove from the heat, remove the basil stems and add the salt, sugar and Parmesan. Using a hand blender on low, gently blend the sauce until the tomatoes break down: you are looking for a sauce that is slightly chunky. Allow the sauce to cool. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Colin Fassnidge’s Pork, Marjoram & Parmesan Rind Rigatoni

.Reading time 2 minutes.

Serves: 4 – 6

I was worried this wouldn’t be a special pasta, though there is something very special about it. There is a real nuance in the flavour and it’s just lovely.

Definitely the marjoram. Definitely.

Could also be the parmesan rind.

Could be that I really slowly cooked it down and then let it sit for a few hours.

Definitely was because it was a mid-week dinner.

We had dinner at Pelengrino2000 for Nat’s birthday earlier in the week and this is exactly what I would have expected from them.

1-hat stuff.

Hat’s off Colin Fassnidge. First recipe and it hit it out of the park.

Ingredients

1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 bunch marjoram, leaves picked and finely chopped, stalks finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
500gm pork mince
1/3 c white wine
700ml tomato passata
2 parmesan rinds (substitute 1/2 c finely grated parmesan) plus extra finely grated to serve
350gm spaghettini or rigatoni

Method

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over low-medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, marjoram stalks and chilli, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the onion is softened. Increase heat to high, add pork and cook for 10 minutes or until evenly browned.
  2. Add the wine and cook, stirring regularly, for 2 minutes or until the liquid is reduced slightly. Add passata, parmesan rinds and 3/4 marjoram leaves, and bring to the boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes to reduce slightly and develop flavour. Discard rinds.
  3. Meanwhile, cook your pasta al dente, reserving 1/3 pasta cooking water.
  4. Toss pasta and reserved cooking water through the tomato mixture. Scatter with remaining marjoram leaves and extra parmesan to serve.