Medallions of Pork Fillet with Onion Puree, Mustard Seed Jus, Duck Fat Potatoes and Black Pudding

This recipe was written by Kevin Blakeman a fantastic Chef who I was privileged to meet at Takapuna Farmers Market in 2009.  Since then I have enjoyed wonderful meals by Kevin who is not only a talented Chef but an amazing person who has many stories to tell of his cooking experiences in New Zealand and the UK.   Recently Kevin did a cooking demonstration for us at the Hobsonville Farmers Market where he created this most wonderful dish with Farm Gate free range pork eye fillet and our black pudding.  Check out Kevin’s website. www.chefkevinblakeman.com

If you are ever looking for a Chef to create the perfect dinner party for you at home (and do the dishes at the end) Kevin is the one to call. 

Medallions of Pork Fillet with Onion Puree, Mustard Seed Jus, Duck Fat Potatoes and Black Pudding

Ingredients – Serves 4

400g Pork fillet
500ml Beef Stock
2 Large white onions, roughly chopped
300ml Jus (rich gravy)
25g Mustard seeds
3 Large Agria potatoes
500g Duck fat
200g Black pudding


Method

• Preferably the day before trim the fat from the pork and roll in glad wrap to form sausage shapes.
• If you’re making the jus yourself then you can also do this the day before. You can do this by roasting beef bones then boiling them in water with carrots, celery, leek, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns and onions to make a dark beef stock. You then discard the vegetables and bones and reduce the liquid with red wine. When you have a rich dark gravy then it is ready. In the restaurant we get approximately 3 litres from a 20 litre stock pot so you have to reduce this quite a bit.
• From here you have a base jus for which you can make any flavour you like, for this recipe simply add mustard seeds to your jus and simmer for 5 minutes to soften the mustard seeds.
• For the onion puree: Combine salt and pepper with the peeled and chopped onions and beef stock then reduce until you only have approximately 100ml of liquid. Puree and set aside.
• For the potatoes: You can cut these to the shape you like, I use a Parisienne scoop and shape like melon balls. In a deep tray melt the duck fat until it is all liquid. Add the potatoes and put them in a hot oven uncovered until they are golden brown and crispy (approximately 30 minutes). You can time this to serve immediately or re-heat them later in a hot oven. 
• Your pork that you rolled should now be cut into medallions ready for pan frying. Simply slice into 2 inch pieces and then remove the glad wrap. Do the same for the black pudding as well. In a pan add oil and heat then add your medallions and black pudding so they sizzle. Cook on all sides until they are golden brown and the black pudding is crispy. The pork can be slightly pink if you don’t mind this.

To Serve: Heat the other ingredients and plate how you see fit. Above is my example.

Chinese Pork Hocks

2 large pork hocks (about 750 grams each)

4 tablespoons brown sugar

100 ml soy sauce (light is best)

250 ml chicken stock

250 ml rice wine

50 grams fresh ginger sliced

2 cloves garlic sliced

2 star anise

1 red chilli opened and left whole

Place all ingredients into a roasting tin and cover with a double layer of foil.  Preheat oven to 150 degrees C.  Roast for two and a half hours turning hocks after one hour and a half.   Remove foil and cook for another hour and a half hours basting with the juices every half an hour.

Take the pork from the oven and rest. 

In the meantime you can reduce the pan juices on the stove by a half to enhance the flavours and richness of the sauce.  This isn’t necessary however as the sauce tastes great. 

Cut the hocks into large pieces discarding the skin and most of the fat. 

Serve on brown rice or Udon noodles. 

Hot and Sour Pork - Julie Buiso Recipe

Julie Buiso was the Chef at the Parnell Farmer’s Market Outstanding in their Fields  -  a Taste Magazine promotion which showcased the best Farmers Markets in New Zealand.

Julie cooked this recipe using the Farmgate Pork Scotch Fillet.  It is so delicious and we were very proud to have Julie demonstrate this dish using our pork.

Serves 4-6

Time to prepare 35 minutes

Time to Cook 5-10 minutes

This is essentially an easy dish to do because everything can be prepared ahead but make sure the barbecue is very hot before the pork goes on, cook the pork in batches, keep the pieces of meat separate so they don’t steam and resist the temptation to turn the pieces until they are nicely browned.

1 small red onion peeled

700 piece free range pork fillet (scotch or eye)

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Salt

1 telegraph cucumber

8 large leaves iceberg lettuce torn into bite size pieces

20 cherry tomatoes halved

150g (about 2 cups) very fresh bean sprouts, trimmed

1 cup fresh coriander leaves

1 cup small mint leaves

Dressing:

Finely grated zest 1 lime

90ml lime juice

1 ½ tbsp grated palm sugar or brown sugar

1 ½ tbsp fish sauce

2 hot red chillies, finely chopped

Cut onion into slivers and soak in icy cold water for 15 minutes.  Drain and pat dry.

Remove any fat from pork, slice reasonably thinly (not into slivers just nice and thin) then toss in a bowl with oil.  Cook pork on a preheated barbecue hot plate over high heat until browned and barely cooked through.  Transfer to a plate and season with a little salt.

Peel cucumber, cut in half down the length then into slices.  Arrange lettuce on a platter along with cucumber, cherry tomatoes, bean sprouts, red onion, coriander and mint leaves.

To make the dressing put all the ingredients in a bowl and stir until sugar dissolves.  Arrange pork on top of salad pour dressing over and toss gently.  Dish into bowls and serve immediately. 

Tuscan Roast Pork Belly

2.5kg pork belly (skin on)

2 rosemary sprigs leaves picked

1 tbs fennel seeds

Grated zest of 1 lemon

4 cloves garlic

2 tbs olive oil

500 ml dry white wine

2 onions thinly sliced

2 tbs flour

500ml chicken stock

80 ml dry marsala

Score the pork skin and fat in a criss cross pattern without cutting into the meat.  Place the pork on a rack in the sink and pour over a kettle of boiling water.  Dry well.  Crush rosemary, fennel, zest and garlic in a mortar and pestle to a coarse paste.  Stir in oil, then rub paste into pork skin.  Cover and marinate for a least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Place pork in roasting pan and pour over wine.  Rub 2 tbs sea salt into skin then roast for 30 minutes.  Reduce heat to 160 degrees and return to heat for one hour.  Scatter onions in pan and roast for a further 1 hour or until skin is crisp and juices run clear.

Remove onion and pork from pan and cover loosely with foil.  Rest for 15 minutes.

Discard all but 2tbs of fat from pan retaining any juices.  Place pan over medium heat and stir in flour.  Cook for 1 minute then whisk in stock and marsala until smooth.  Strain.  Keep warm.  Slice thickly