Notes

a chef’s guide to

PORK A CHEF’S GUIDE TO PORK

a foodservice guide to pork and pork products for your menu

an introduction Good decision, you’ve decided to open this foodservice guide to pork.

This book is broken down into three main sections:

By doing so, the endless opportunities that pork offers in terms of innovating back of house and delighting customers front of house, time and again, are now at

Putting Pork on the Menu 1 This section highlights sourcing, variety, husbandry and answers the question ‘why pork?’

your fingertips. Pork delivers great flavour, a range of textures and eating experiences and is the base for so many great dishes – both traditional and modern – across so many cuisines. Plus, it’s kind to your budget.

Pork Possibilities 9 A definitive guide, by cooking method, to pork cuts, dishes and flavours Buying, Specifying & Handling Pork 45 Valuable information on managing your suppliers and making the most of your pork prep work

From high end fine dining to large scale cost sector catering, pork is an ingredient to suit any operation. Read on...

MEAT AND LIVESTOCK COMMISSION PO Box 44 Winterhill House Snowdon Drive Milton Keynes MK6 1AX T 01908 844114 F 01908 671722 E [email protected] www.mlcfoodservice.com www.bpex.org.uk

To assist and encourage the British pig industry to exploit fully consumers’ changing requirements and so achieve sustainable growth .

The task of the British Pig Executive (BPEX) is to determine the Meat and Livestock Commission’s Pig Strategy and to ensure that Britain’s pig levy payers’ money is efficiently deployed in line with this strategy.

BPEX is committed to stemming the current decline in the British pig industry and improving competitiveness throughout the supply chain, defending and adding value to the markets for pork and pork products and building alliances to develop the British market.

BPEX operates with maximum autonomy within MLC's statutory responsibilities and comprises leading individuals across the British pig industry. It consists of

Full information on the Road to Recovery plan and BPEX strategy can be viewed online at www.bpex.org.uk/

12 people nominated by industry representative organisations and meets at least 6 times a year.

All pork, bacon, ham and sausages that carry the Quality Standard Mark come from farmers and processors committed to high standards of animal welfare, quality control and traceability. The production chain is independently audited to ensure compliance with these standards.

PUTTING PORK ON THE MENU 1

THE CASE FOR MORE PORK… Pork is popular with British consumers and it offers superb value for money and profit opportunities to caterers. Pork is also versatile, tasty and healthy, yet it is under-represented on many of Britain’s menus.

Favourable views on popular cuts such as chops, steaks and stir-fry strips included: • “It’s lean” • “It’s succulent” • “It’s soft and pleasant to eat” • “We all enjoy pork”

This booklet aims to address this paradox, by: • Stating the case for pork • Providing the most up-to-date advice on buying, preparing and serving pork • Inspiring chefs with a wealth of pork recipes and ideas

Why then are only 5.5% of pork meals eaten out of home? Possibly because within foodservice, only 4% of main course dishes contain pork. There are however some encouraging trends within foodservice such as: • Accelerated growth in pork usage in the cost sector driven by marketing of the real health benefits of pork – in hospitals pork now has up to 7.4% share of meals served • White linen use of rare and traditional breeds • Pub sector’s increased use of pork on the grill

Whether you cook in the cost or profit sector, budget or white linen, there are recipes, pork cuts and techniques in this booklet for you.

Pork is the world’s favourite meat, although in Britain it is the second choice red meat after beef. MLC figures show that over 82% of households buy pork during the course of a year, and pork sales grew in value by 5% last year*.

Profit from pork Pork is remarkably inexpensive by comparison with other proteins meaning higher profit margins for the chef or

Britain’s

caterer. Alternatively, by applying the

total fresh pork market was worth a massive £600 million in the 12 months to November 2003 – there

same profit margin to pork as to other red meats, the caterer can tempt customers

are plenty of pork fans out there.

pork options on the menu.

Recent consumer research by MLC and BPEX into consumer attitudes to pork provides encouraging results too. Roast pork evoked happy memories of family meals and Sunday roasts with comments such as: • “Great with apple sauce” • “I love the crackling” • “It tastes and smells great” * Source: TNS

with ‘good value’ or ‘attractively priced’,

Seam butchery methods developed by the MLC have improved profitability further by enabling: • Better portion control • Easier carving of joints • Little or no plate waste

2

Pork provides: • Protein – necessary for growth and an important constituent of a balanced, healthy diet • Minerals, particularly iron and zinc. Iron deficiency is the most common dietary cause of anaemia • D and B vitamins including B12 which is not found in foods of plant origin. A medium (90g) serving of lean roast pork would provide over 60% of our daily B12 requirement • Thiamin – 60% of our daily requirement would be provided by one 90g serving of lean roast pork • Omega 3 fatty acids which are thought to protect against fatal heart disease

We often feature rare breed pork on our menus. The bacon and sausages on the Breakfast Menu comes from British Lops. Gloucestershire Old Spot and Middle White pork provides tenderloins for Banqueting as well as our Grill Room Specials.” henry brosi

The majority of pork cuts are suitable for roasting, grilling and other quick cooking methods. Pork can be cooked and served pink, medium or well done. Let your customers choose (see page 19), but pork is most tender and succulent when lightly cooked. Slow-cooked pork dishes, such as casseroles, are also delicious and are proving

increasingly

popular

healthy

Pork as part of a healthy diet

“I think that pork is one of the most underrated of meats, it has so much flavour and is so versatile to cook with. For me, to taste a nice, moist, succulent piece of roast pork with its creamy, crispy crackling is one of the highlights of my day.

versatile

Pork is versatile

Pork – low in fat: • The fat content of pork has decreased by over a third on average in the past 20 years • Fully trimmed pork contains as little as 4% fat, compared to 5% for beef and 8% for lamb • Over 40% of this fat is monounsaturated, the type often associated with the ‘healthy’ Mediterranean diet • Lean pork dishes or recipes made from lean pork mince can contain as little as 8g fat per portion

with

consumers who lack the time or skill to slow cook at home. Cook sausages on the barbecue, chargrill or as a casserole

Rather than restricting choice, chefs and caterers should provide their customers with wide and varied menu choices that

ingredient; or better still, make your own. Add speciality bacons to your breakfast offering, make the most of the myriad of hams and new cured pork products on offer.

include red meat options. Customers can then make healthy changes to their diet (at their discretion) without reducing their enjoyment of dining out.

PUTTING PORK ON THE MENU 3

Caterers in health and education may be interested in a number of tasty pork recipes created by the MLC foodservice development team for a range of special diets: diabetics, soft diets, high-fibre and low-fat. For copies of the MLC’s Recipes for Recovery leaflets call 01908 844 114. MLC advice on cooking for reduced-fat diets includes: • Specify lean cuts of pork, e.g. lean cubes for casseroles and kebabs, lean

low fat

• • • •

mince Source lower-fat versions of popular meat products such as sausages and pâté Trim fat from meat before cooking Cut any remaining fat from pork before serving Adopt healthier cooking methods such as grilling, roasting on a rack, or dryfrying

• • •

Discard fat from the pan before making gravies or sauces Skim fat from casseroles before serving Dab grilled or fried meat before serving

4

Why quality counts To create great pork dishes you need good quality raw materials plus the ideas, knowledge and the skill to use them well. It is a proven fact that the better the quality of the raw pork, the better its flavour, texture and colour when cooked. So if you are looking to give pleasure to your customers and to show off your cooking skills, the quality of the pork that you specify and buy is important.

quality

There are also important welfare and food safety issues to consider, which are closely connected to quality and price. Pork costs more to produce when farmers improve living conditions for their pigs, for example by providing them with high quality feed, yet these measures are obviously important in an increasingly health conscious society. Consumers are taking more and more interest in such issues and your staff need to be able to answer questions on meat supply with confidence and truth. It is perfectly possible to buy quality pork on a restricted budget: • Consider cost-effective cuts from

•

• •

Why buy BPEX Quality Standard Pork? Buying pork which carries the BPEX Quality Pork Standard Mark offers you, the caterer, the easiest route to ensuring quality pork supply. It also supports safe and ethical pork production, and guarantees full traceability from plate back to farm. In recent years, the British Pig Executive (BPEX), through its Butchery and Technical team, has made great strides in enhancing the eating quality of pork. Through breeding programmes, extensive research and in-house trials, British consumer demands for lean, tasty and succulent pork have been answered.

As much as two-thirds of imported pork comes from farms that operate welfare practices which would be illegal in Britain (Source: BPEX research, Summer 2004) although they do comply with EU Standards.

The BPEX Quality Standards for pork, bacon

better quality carcases Cut down on waste by specifying tightly and correctly, to ensure you get

and ham provide important assurances of

exactly what you want, butchered as

audited every six months. Consumer

you want it Cook creatively –try new and interesting

research shows that this mark has achieved higher levels of consumer recognition than nearly all other farm assurance marks.

recipes from less expensive cuts Use vegetables, carbohydrates, stuffings and farces to ‘bulk up’ dishes

good practice throughout the supply chain and these standards are independently

On the farm the BPEX Quality Standards are operated through independently verified assurance schemes ensuring high standards of pig welfare and husbandry. Guidelines focus on: • Feeding, with its implications for fat/lean meat ratios, weight and carcase quality. No MBM (meat and bone meal) can be included in animal feeding stuffs

PUTTING PORK ON THE MENU 5

welfare

• •

•

•

Housing, including stocking densities, ventilation and separation The use of stalls and tethers for pregnant sows is banned in Britain, but not in much of Europe or elsewhere Veterinary medicines – animals receive immunisation against disease; antibiotics are administered only when necessary; growth promoting hormones were banned back in 1989 Residue monitoring (enforced by random testing)

Scheme-approved farmers care for their animals following the Five Freedom’s welfare code: ✔ Freedom from hunger and thirst ✔ Freedom from discomfort ✔ Freedom from pain, injury or disease ✔ Freedom to perform normal patterns of behaviour ✔ Freedom from fear or distress Vets make quarterly inspections to check that standards are being met on farms. These are backed up by independent inspectors who make checks on the whole food chain, visiting farmers,

“We source the pork direct from the farm because it enables me to see for myself just how the animals have been cared for, which of course makes a difference to the quality of the end product. In fact we use the same supplier for about 90% of the meat that we buy and I make sure that the name of the farm is included on the menu, to give my customers peace of mind.” nigel haworth

Transportation The state that the animals arrive at the abattoir, the way that they are handled there, and the handling of the carcases all have important implications for the quality of the pork produced. As a result, all aspects of the transportation of live pigs are covered by the BPEX Quality Standard. Independent welfare officers report on: • Drivers’ training, loading and unloading • Vehicle design and construction • Stocking densities, ventilation and separation of animals • Scheduling of abattoir deliveries to

hauliers and pork processors at least once a year.

Good husbandry promotes excellent eating quality

•

minimise standing time Animal health

6

Local pork

Abattoirs Abattoirs too must be members of a BPEXapproved independent scheme in order to process meat carrying the BPEX Quality Pork Standard. Key areas regulated and scrutinised regularly by official veterinary surgeons include: • Rigorous pre-slaughter inspection by a qualified vet • Slaughtering procedures to minimise stress • Rigorous post-slaughter inspection by a qualified inspector from the Meat

•

Hygiene Service Product identification and independent weekly traceability audits back to the

•

farm Carcase dressing

‘Buy local’ campaign is gaining momentum, fuelled by consumer concern over animal welfare and the environment, as well as the media. Pubs and restaurants that have added local dishes to their menus have experienced an excellent response from their customers and have been able to charge a premium.

Why tell customers the origin of your meat? The case for menu transparency Buying Quality Standard pork, bacon or ham will give you and your customers confidence in the product. MLC devotes much of its time to understanding the needs of consumers, and 2004 MLC/NOP research shows clearly that: 61% of consumers want to know the origin of the meat that they eat • 80% want to see origin on menus • Many consumers understand the potential benefits to farming of menu

•

transparency

Butchers Butchers or meat suppliers too must be members of a BPEX-approved scheme in order to supply BPEX Quality Assured Pork, Sausages, Ham or Bacon. Caterers should check that their meat suppliers are BPEXapproved. If not, encourage the supplier to become part of the BPEX Quality Standard Scheme, or source a new approved supplier.

The retail sector has already responded to consumer demands for meat packaging to display the country of origin. Increasingly consumers are asking for the same information when eating out and operators will find themselves under increasing pressure to label the origin of meat on their menus.

PUTTING PORK ON THE MENU 7

Applying MLC’s Best Practice Guidelines

Consumers know the BPEX Quality standard mark. The launch of the new BPEX Quality Pork Standard is supported by considerable consumer advertising and marketing activity, which is telling your customers about the quality and welfare assurances guaranteed by Quality Standard pork.

Stating the origin clearly on the menu will:

• • • •

Provide your customers with important assurances for pork quality and safety as well as pig husbandry and welfare Highlight the relationship of trust between you, your suppliers and producers Demonstrate to your customers your commitment to high quality ingredients Help build a competitive advantage Display your commitment to due diligence

menu transparency

•

Following a period of consultation with the foodservice industry, MLC has created the ‘Best Practice Guidelines’ for menu transparency. These are simple to implement as follows: • You should ensure that country of origin details are provided for all dishes on the menu where the major or prominent ingredient is meat based • This information should be available either on the menu or clearly displayed on a poster, chalkboard or other point-of-sale material • The term ‘origin’ in this context refers to where the animal has spent the majority of its life. All reputable suppliers should be able to provide origin traceability documentation • Caterers may if they wish, provide reference to a specific region, e.g. ‘Wiltshire-reared pork’, or even the farm that the animal came from • If reference to breed is included on the menu, this should still be supported with country of origin details • Brand names implying origin should also be clarified, e.g. ‘Lakeland Pork

•

on the menu, e.g. “The meat served in this restaurant is British unless otherwise stated” or “We source our

“Menu transparency is something I wholeheartedly support and we endeavour to apply it in all our restaurants.” gordon ramsay

from Cumbria’ Caterers buying meat from more that one country should simply indicate their sourcing policy with a short explanation

•

meat from around the world (Britain, Ireland and Argentina) to serve you with quality meals at affordable prices” If the origin of meat supplied may change before the menu, then this too should be mentioned, e.g. ‘The meat served in this restaurant is selected according to availability. Pork is from Britain unless otherwise stated’

ROAST The classic pork roast with crispy crackling and all the trimmings is so well known and loved that to exceed customer expectations presents a challenge, but one well worth addressing. To roast means simply to cook in the dry heat of an oven, and pork offers plenty of opportunities to deviate from tradition. Impress with a suckling pig, keep within budget using less expensive roasting joints, offer single portion roasts or wet roasted pork dishes. To stand out from the competition, experiment with more imaginative recipes.

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF ROASTING Roasting depends on the ‘Maillard Reaction’ to transform the meat’s natural juices into the wonderful flavours and aromas that we expect in a roast. Roast pork is sweeter than other meats. The outer, darker pork has a stronger caramelised flavour that complements the subtler taste and softer texture of the inner meat. Allow some ‘give’ in the string when tying roasts, about 1 cm. Tight ties compress moisture generated during cooking, forcing it out as steam, drying and toughening the meat. Start joints cooking at high temperatures to sear meat and crisp crackling, then reduce temperatures to cook meat to the core. Lower roasting temperatures provide higher yields (and profits), plus moister pork which is easier to carve. It is particularly important that boned and rolled joints are well cooked through (see page 19), as any bacteria introduced during bone removal may have been rolled into the centre. Baste while roasting as it helps to distribute flavour and heat. Avoid piercing pork while roasting – those precious juices will escape! Roast suckling (or sucking) pig produces the most delicate and delicious pork imaginable.

PORK POSSIBILITIES 9

ROAST SERVES: 10 2.5 kg 10g Marinade 60g 15g 10g 20g 40g 20g 300g Garnish 1.5 kg 800g

Pork silverside joint Oil

Brown sugar Honey Garlic cloves, crushed Ginger, finely diced Dark rum Lemon juice Pineapple Juice

Roasted sweet potatoes, diced Fresh pineapple, diced

Serving suggestion

ROAST PORK CALYPSO Heat oil in ovenproof pan. Add the silverside joint and lightly brown on all sides. Roast for at least 60 minutes at 130ºC. Remove the joint from the oven and pour over the ingredients for the sauce. Allow to reduce, basting the meat regularly for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens. To serve, carve two slices of the joint and spoon over the sauce. Serve with roasted sweet potato and chargrilled pineapple.

P O R K P O S S I B I L I T I E S 11

CUT SHOWCASE

COLLAR AND CARVERY ROAST

From fore end to carvery roast…

>

>

• Remove internal pockets of fat and heavy gristles • Specify ‘tied evenly’ for even cooking • Score prior to roasting • Remove rind after cooking and serve separately if you wish

12

GUARANTEED CRUNCHY CRACKLING The essentials

crackling

Scoring, wetting and salting Well-scored pork rind creates the crunchiest crackling, as scoring enables fat to escape from the fat layer and crisp the rind during cooking. Scoring also improves heat transfer through the joint and aids carving and portion control. Include in your purchase specifications that roasting joints should be well scored. Cuts should penetrate rind, but not through to the fat layer. If you’d prefer to score your own rind, invest in a craft knife.

For best results remove the crackling from the joint as soon as roasting is complete. Cut crackling into portions, return to the roasting tray and crisp for a further 10 minutes in a hot oven.

Should I rest my roast? Contrary to traditional teaching, the latest research* suggests that moisture will not move back into the joint once cooking is completed. Although pork sliced from rested joints demonstrated better visual qualities, the implications to the chef of reduced yield (and therefore profit) and no significant change in eating quality led to the conclusion that joints should not be rested. * Source: Danish Meat Research Institute

Carving

Scoring

Carving can be both time consuming and wasteful so specify boneless cuts if possible and don’t go bigger than you have to. Smaller joints, such as half legs for example, are easier to deal with, but still give great theatre and plate presentation. They also offer more profit and there’s less waste.

Wetting Historically the use of salt was promoted for good crackling but now BPEX and MLC support low salt initiatives and recommend that crackling can be enjoyed without its addition – in MLC tests, the use of boiling water at the beginning of roasting poured over the skin produces the best results.

P O R K P O S S I B I L I T I E S 13

Sauces – more than just apple:

• Boneless joint

• Roasted ripe pears look much more

Remove crackling and slice joint (across the meat grain) into portions • Chined loin roast on the bone Remove the loin from the bone using a suitable knife. Then cut loin into 1⁄2 cm thick slices, always cut across the grain • Leg or ham Place joint with narrow knuckle pointing away and the meatiest side uppermost. Insert fork into the lower half of wide end facing you and carve first slice at a slight angle off the vertical. Continue carving slices off the ham, flattening the knife as you come nearer the knuckle so that slices are not too narrow. Turn over and carve the other side • Suckling pig /whole hog roasts Cut the skin around the shoulder and insert knifepoint cutting through the joints. If well cooked the front legs should come away easily. Cut the skin around the hind legs and remove. Then portion the loin cuts

impressive (season, drizzle with oil and roast in their skins) • Upgrade to quince and apple sauce – stew the quinces slowly in cider, sugar and water • Apple, sage and hot mustard relish – chop eating apples with fresh sage, white wine, brown sugar and English mustard – simmer for 10-15 minutes • Sauce Robert is a piquant sauce based on gherkins, browned onions, white wine and vinegar. This recipe is usually attributed to the 16th century chef Robert Vinot, but its origins are much older

ALL THE TRIMMINGS Pork is a very versatile meat, delight your customers and keep your menu fresh with these suggestions…

Glazing protects the meat’s surface during cooking and tastes great too. Try… • Sweet chilli sauce and crushed garlic • Redcurrant jelly or apricot jam • Clear honey mixed with lemon juice or mustard

• For Christmas, stuff your joint with Christmas pudding … no, really, it works!

Some stuffing ideas: • Chopped bacon, green peppers, carrots and prunes • Pear and ground cinnamon with pork sausage meat and chopped bacon • Orange stuffing made with zest and juice, parsley, chives, thyme, sage, onion and breadcrumbs • Chopped pig’s kidneys with mixed

stuffing

carving joints

To carve a:

fresh herbs

• Apricot, thyme and white rice • Potato, swede, bacon and sweet herbs • Fresh, crushed red chillies, garlic and ginger – mixed to a paste with oil • Line internal surface of joint with airdried ham, spread with herby stuffing, roll and tie

14

Tasty partners!

• Jerusalem artichokes or pumpkin pieces will roast around the joint just as well as parsnips • Swede and apple bake • Red cabbage braised with orange • Baps and buns – filled with hot roast pork, stuffing and apple sauce – quite delicious!

The individual ‘mini-roasting joint’ is a fantastic cut that is specified for one portion. As a result, it can be cooked to order and to the customer’s liking – medium, well done. A dish using this cut commands a good price and does not have to use the most expensive muscles.

Suckling pig: Suckling (or sucking) pig makes great theatre. Leave stomach cavity open for ease of cooking or fill with fresh herbs or

Other roasting cuts: • Spread pork steaks with stuffing, fold back into a steak, secure and roast • Core and stuff brasserie steaks for roasting • Pork chops roast brilliantly in an open tray on a layer of root vegetables • Score rind of a belly block, make a pocket between it and meat layer, spread with a mixture of fennel seeds, crushed juniper berries, rosemary, lemon juice and oil Trotters: You can also roast pig’s trotters! They’ll need braising then boning first (allow 2 hours). Then, stuff with mashed potato and shallots sautéed in goose fat. Savoury duck: Not game but pork, a ‘Savoury Duck’ is a pig’s liver faggot, traditionally wet roasted or baked in the oven. Pembrokeshire faggots were traditionally made from minced pig’s liver and onion, mixed with breadcrumbs, suet, sage and seasoning. Faggots should be wrapped in

stuffing for extra flavour. Skewer front

caul (or placed in foil cups), placed in a

legs forwards and back legs backwards to expose all surfaces for browning. Brush

roasting dish, surrounded with boiling water and wet-roasted for half an hour.

skin with olive oil and roast in a moderate oven until a correct core temperature is reached.

Italian ideas: • Porchetta is a fantastic Italian dish that can be served hot or cold. On your menu,

See page 19 for the FSA guidelines.

Porchetta will sound much more exciting than ‘roast pork sandwich’ which is, essentially, what it is! The pork is prepared with garlic, rosemary and other woody herbs and goes down a storm • A Tuscan favourite, Pork alla Fiorentina is a slow-roasted dish infused with fresh spices, namely cloves, rosemary and sage. Another high gross profit dish, any leftovers can be saved and served cold!

GRILL OR BARBECUE Defined as cooking by radiant heat, grilling allows the cooking of pork without any added fat or liquid. Grilling is the perfect method for recipes where the flavour of prime pork is the goal, or for healthy reduced fat dishes. Barbecues and chargrills cook by grilling, the destination of huge quantities of pork chops, steaks and kebabs, not to mention sausages. The rotisserie unit is also a grill, so we cover in this section the spectacle of the whole hog roast.

GRILL THEATRICS Charring browns the meat at the surface giving a distinctive appearance and flavour. Flavour itself comes from a chemical reaction called the ‘Maillard Reaction’. These darker areas add consumer appeal to pork dishes. They contrast with the pale centre of a cooked pork cut, giving consumers the combined message of succulence and flavour. Sear pork at the hottest part of your grill, chargrill or barbecue, then move to less harsh areas to cook cuts through. Nearly 3 in every 4 barbecue occasions include sausages. What about pork rashers, steaks, chops, sirloins, T-bones, cutlets, bacon joints or kebabs? How to add flavour and variety through grilling Pork, and the grill, love the pungency of oil-rich, woody herbs like rosemary, sage and thyme. Pork marinates well and tastes great with a wide variety of flavours, so get marinating and give your grill a flavour treat. Marinades add character and benefit lesser-known, cost-effective pork cuts, transforming them into candidates for the grill, but judge it carefully; overmarinate and you risk toughening meat instead. Cooking for low-fat diets? • Grill on a rack and let the excess fat drip away • Accompanying pork with a mixture of tangy and sweet fruit adds flavour to even the leanest cuts

P O R K P O S S I B I L I T I E S 15

GRILL/ BARBECUE SERVES: 10 600g Approx Pork sausages (10) 300g Pig’s kidney, cored and washed 300g Cherry tomatoes (40) 250g Whole button mushrooms 350g Streaky bacon (20) 20g Sprigs of rosemary (20) 50g Olive oil Garnish 600g 350g

BREAKFAST SKEWERS Prepare the items for the skewer by cutting the sausages into two equal pieces, wrap the cherry tomatoes with half a slice of bacon and cut kidneys in 20mm dice. Using a rosemary sprig, skewer the ingredients alternately.

Bloomer bread Grilled halves of tomatoes

Lightly brush skewers with oil and grill on both sides until fully cooked. Serve with toasted bloomer bread, grilled tomatoes or corn on the cob and wedged potatoes.

Serving suggestion

P O R K P O S S I B I L I T I E S 17

CUT SHOWCASE

PORK SIRLOIN AND PORK TENDRONS

• Specify steaks to be cut to even thickness – helps cook evenly

• Ideal for barbecues! • Stuff tendrons with tomatoes and black olives for a taste of the Mediterranean Make trimming part of your best practice

Tips for enhancing your grilled pork dishes: • Summer fruit salsa – fresh mango, peach, strawberries, coriander and lime juice • Aioli and basil drizzle • Fennel seeds (sprinkled just before the end of cooking) • Cranberry sauce and a good wedge of soft cheese • Caper sauce • Hummus mixed with natural yogurt and fresh chopped mint

spare ribs

Spare ribs remain a hugely popular dish so try these variations: • Cajun – orange juice, lime juice, garlic, paprika and Cajun spice mix • Chinese – soy, rice wine, demerara sugar, garlic, paprika, root ginger, Chinese five spice • Moroccan – cumin, cinnamon, ginger and natural yogurt • Sweet and sour – oil, dry sherry, honey, wine vinegar and soy sauce

Marinate tendrons in: • Lavender, fresh ginger and soy • Orange juice and Madeira • Lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, thyme leaves and chopped onion • Oyster sauce, fish sauce, garlic and light soy • Brandy and green peppercorns • Walnut oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and rosemary

Pork mince makes great burgers – add your favourite flavours and serve with lots of salad to balance the dish. Try: • Lime and coriander • Mango and hoi sin • Crunchy peanut butter, sesame seeds or chopped hazelnuts

kebabs

IDEAS FOR GRILLING

tendrons

18

To help increase gross profit, bulk up kebabs with: • Apricots and mixed peppers • Pig’s liver and prunes • Sage leaves, shallots and button mushrooms

Mini kebabs for starters? Turn pork mince into Greek or Turkish koftas. Pinchos

Kidneys grill well too – some chefs advise soaking in milk before grilling and finish

Morunos are sticks of mini pork cubes highly seasoned with cumin and paprika, a legacy of the Moorish occupation of

with maître d’hôtel butter.

Spain.

Try marinating tendrons in lavender, fresh ginger and soy.

P O R K P O S S I B I L I T I E S 19

FOR THE SUCCESSFUL AND SAFE BARBECUE… DO! Choose cuts with some fat for flavour – but not too much or you’ll create too many blackening flames. Brush lean pork cuts with a little oil before cooking – infused oils can add flavour. Check marinade ingredients carefully, those with high glucose contents tend to burn. Light the barbecue well in advance, burn and brush off any debris from bars or grill. Delay cooking until gas element is hot, or coals are glowing red with a grey powdery surface. Turn food regularly to ensure even cooking and make extra sure that food is

COOKING MEAT When you cook pork as minced/chopped meat (for example sausages) and rolled joints, you should make sure that the centre of the meat reaches one of the following temperatures for at least the time given: 60°C 65°C 70°C 75°C 80°C

for 45 mins for 10 mins for 2 mins for 30 secs for 6 secs

Source: Food Standards Agency

DON’T ! Don’t put raw meat next to cooked. Instead add raw meat to one end of barbecue and transfer to the other end as it cooks. Don’t add marinades to cooked meat as it has been used already for raw.

cooked all the way through before serving (particularly minced food). It may help to cook meat in the kitchen, moving it to the

You can eat whole cuts of beef, lamb

barbecue for finishing.

and pork when they are pink or rare.

Always dip tongs into hot water (+82ºC) after each touch and turn of the meat, or

This is because any bacteria are generally on the outside of the meat so if the outside is cooked, this should kill

clean tongs well with Alco-wipes.

any bacteria, even if the middle of the meat is still pink.

Wash hands after handling raw meat and use separate equipment for raw and cooked meat.

Source: Food Standards Agency

20

THE ROTISSERIE OR SPIT ROAST Rotisseries work on the principle of radiated heat to the meat’s surface in the same way as a salamander, and are therefore a form of grill. Their benefits: • Large pork joints can be cooked in full view of customers • Complete exterior crispness is achieved, a big plus for pork crackling fans! • For fattier cuts (pork belly for example), the fat drips away • Joints baste themselves • Cooking is easy to monitor The best pork joints for the rotisserie are boneless and the same depth along their length so that both ends cook evenly – a 10cm depth is perfect. An even fat layer helps the transfer of heat and flavour during cooking.

Whole hog roasts

• Loin, boned and rolled – even shape,

While it is perfectly possible to cook an entire pig on a traditional barbecue, the electric or gas rotisserie or barbecue is a safer choice and easy to hire.

great crackling, very moist • Collar joint, rolled – economical cut and takes on flavour well • Easy carve leg, rolled – crispy crackling, succulent and easy to carve

• Topside, rolled – great taste and moist • Belly, whole – juicy, works really well when marinated

Probe! At any point when meat has been pierced during the cooking process, you need to probe to ensure sufficient cooking (see chart on page 19).

whole hog

Try!

Specify the pig size to suit your event. Sizes vary from 74kg for an average hog down to 10kg suckling pigs (which

provide great theatre). To prepare – check that all hair has been removed, then prepare rind as for crisp crackling (see page 12). Leave the stomach cavity open for best results. Cooking times will depend on carcase size.

Ensure you order enough as hog roasts attract a crowd!

FRY/SAUTÉ It’s quick, enhances flavour, seals in succulence, and is a particularly successful cooking method for pork.

FRYING FACTS Fry your pork lightly. Lightly cooked pork has a soft, easy-to-chew character, which is easily lost through overcooking.

Pork steaks and chops lend themselves to shallow frying. Sweet and sour pork is a testament to the enduring popularity of deep-fried pork recipes. Sauté pork with herbs, stir-fry it with spices, griddle steaks or dry-fry for reduced-fat diets. The opportunities are endless.

Consumers consider the steak as immediately more serious than the chop. Collar, shoulder, loin or leg steaks will impress your customers – make the most of the cut name as ‘cutlet’ almost always commands an acceptable price premium over ‘chop’!

Don’t overcook pork For maximum flavour, fry quickly at first to brown the surface, then reduce heat to cook through. Roast pork actually has an advantage of being texturally softer and

Even though pork contains as little as 4% fat, it doesn’t need added fat for frying: • Dry-fry pork for healthy salads and sandwiches • Remove any excess fat before service

crumbly when overcooked which most consumers quite like. Offer your customers the choice of pork cooked the way they

• Reduce oil used for frying – coat pans using fine oil sprays

like it – pink, medium or well done.

A proper 'pig's fry' consists of liver, heart, melts and lights (or lungs). In days gone by, the slaughtermen at smaller abattoirs would fry offal up for their breakfast which was so fresh that it was still warm.

(Source: Bristol Roast Pork Leg Research, 2002).

Presentation tips: Take off the rind from your steak for frying; it won’t cook and crisp up, in the brief time the pork is in the pan. Snip into the fatty layer as far as the meat, as this allows the meat to shrink without having it buckle and twist. The first side of a fried steak colours most evenly, so serve ‘first fried side’ face up. Add a touch of class to your menu – by simply slicing a piece of fillet you’ve got ‘noisettes’, great for one-pan dishes.

P O R K P O S S I B I L I T I E S 21

SERVES: 10 2kg 40g Marinade 160g 80g 30g 180g Salad 8g 20g 16g 160g 400g 400g

Pork fillet Peanut oil

FRY/ SAUTÉ THAI PORK SALAD Cut the fillet into 5mm strips and place in the marinade for 1 hour.

Lime juice Honey Fish sauce Shallots, thinly sliced

Roast ground rice Coriander, picked and coarsely chopped Mint, picked and coarsely chopped Roasted cashew nuts Mixed leaves Green apples, thinly sliced

Serving suggestion

Drain and retain the marinade. Heat the wok, add the peanut oil and sauté the meat for two minutes. Add the marinade back to the pan, bring to the boil and cook for 1 minute. Serve with remaining ingredients. NOTE: This can be used as a starter portion.

P O R K P O S S I B I L I T I E S 23

CUT SHOWCASE

MINI BELLY RASHERS

• Steam to tenderise, dry then fry • Ideal for starter or main course Separating the belly from the loin

IDEAS TO FRY Classic pork coatings:

• Braise belly block or rashers, wrap in wafer thin slices of air-dried ham – shallow fry with sage • For Saltimbocca, pork escalopes are more cost effective than veal – top escalopes with mozzarella, Parmesan, sage and air-dried ham • Battered deep-fried pork with sweet and sour sauce – now a British institution! • Flour small pork cubes, dip in egg and mustard, coat with breadcrumbs and deep-fry – simple but delicious.

In Japan:

• Gomoku Yakisoba translates as Five Flavoured Noodles – a lean pork and noodle stir-fry • Tonkatsu is a fruity sauce, served with deep-fried pork strips and raw shredded cabbage

sauce reductions

24

Quick sauce reductions – fry pork, remove from pan, reduce heat and add: • Shallots, cook until translucent, add chopped green olives and chillies, deglaze with stock and white wine, then stir in cream • Red peppers, garlic, black olives, basil, oregano and lastly, peeled quartered and plum tomatoes • Chanterelles or morels and cream • Raisins soaked in cider • Slivered blanched almonds and sweet Oloroso sherry (not cream sherry, it’s too sweet) • Sliced peaches or fresh halved black cherries • Lighten up sautés – substitute crème fraîche for cream – it’s cheaper too

ALTERNATIVE CUTS FOR FRYING… Create a stir by giving pig’s tails the same treatment, they’re delicious with watercress and mustard leaf salad. Crispy pig’s ears must be boiled or steamed first, then slice thinly, dry and deep fry until crisp. Pig’s kidneys can be sautéed too – with mushrooms and lardons of bacon. They can be strongly flavoured, so prepare by skinning, halving, removing white central core and washing. Pig’s cheeks too make for great frying and offer a real point of interest on your menu. Try calling them mignons or medallions.

P O R K P O S S I B I L I T I E S 25

Great combinations for pork!

• Peanut butter spiked with lemon zest,

Choron mustard (a classic accompaniment to fried pork) is a mix of French mustard, tomato purée and lemon juice.

garlic, soy sauce, fresh chilli and ginger

• Thai curry pastes and culinary sauces, there are some very authentic ones on the market – try red or green • Crème fraîche with wholegrain mustard and coriander • Pineapple, ginger and sweet chilli sauce • Black bean sauce with fresh ginger • Savoy cabbage and sesame seeds or oil • Water chestnuts, they give a great crunch

Apples, pears and juniper berries are classic pork partners, so why not flambé with Calvados, Poire William or even gin.

The Spanish are big pork eaters and tapas make great starters. Try…

• Flamenquines – deep fried, breadcrumbed rolls of pork loin, ham and béchamel • Albondigas – minced pork balls, fried and served with tomato sauce

Polpettini are the Italian answer to albondigas. Meatballs are sometimes formed around cubes of Fontina cheese which melt on frying.

BRAISE Braising requires an oven and is a combination of stewing and baking. Braising is a particularly effective cooking method for cuts which have more connective tissue. The all round, even heat of the oven enables the slow cooking of larger joints. The long, slow, moist cooking tenderises the meat and infuses it with flavours from the cooking liquid or ‘braise’. Pot roasting, a form of braising, places joints on beds of vegetables and cooks them slowly in a little liquid.

BEST BRAISES Slow cooked dishes are enjoying a revival. Diners enjoy trying dishes that they would never attempt at home. Sear or brown the joint on all sides before adding your braise and transferring to the oven. Pot roasting braises joints on a bed of vegetables: • Use combinations of roots and herbs • Remember that the quality of your stock will determine the quality of your sauce Fat for flavour Throw in some pork belly or bacon pieces. Their intramuscular fat will gently release into the braise, thickening and enhancing it. Osso bucco is the shin (‘hock’) of the pig which when separated from the shoulder or leg can be sliced into portions. This is a cut still considered by some to be of no importance. Wrong! The osso bucco is becoming a very fashionable dish for many operations and is very economical but full of flavour and texture and is great for braising.

P O R K P O S S I B I L I T I E S 27

BRAISE SERVES: 10 2.5kg 500g 500g 55g 30g 250g 150g 9g 500g 10 120g 50g Garnish 20g 20g 500g 800g

Belly of pork, 10cm x 10cm White wine Water Ginger, finely grated Garlic cloves Light soy sauce Muscovado sugar Star anise Orange, zest and juice Cinnamon sticks Spring onions, thinly sliced Sesame seed oil

Red chilli, seeded and finely chopped Spring onion, sliced Japanese noodles Pak choi, whole

RED BRAISED BELLY OF PORK Place belly pork, white wine, water, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, star anise, orange juice and zest and cinnamon sticks into an ovenproof pan and cook for 2 – 3 hours at 140ºC. Add the spring onion and sesame seed oil 10 minutes before the pork is cooked. Serve with noodles, steamed pak choi and chopped chilli and spring onion.

Serving suggestion

P O R K P O S S I B I L I T I E S 29

CUT SHOWCASE

DAUBES AND OSSO BUCCO

• Make sure your menu says ‘Pork Osso Bucco’ rather than ‘shanks’ – Osso Bucco commands a price premium • Sear then braise Braising takes place in the oven, at low temperatures

30

Braising is a method of cooking in the oven. The meat is cooked in a liquid (the ‘braise’) and the pan, casserole dish or cocotte is covered. It’s a bit like stewing in the oven, or pot-roasting. There are two methods of braising – brown and white: • In brown braising, joints and portion cuts are marinated and then sealed in a pan on all sides. This locks in the flavour, keeping the joint moist throughout the cooking as well as adding the browned meat flavour to the braise. The joint is then placed on a ‘trivet’ of root vegetables in the braising pan, along with the liquids and other seasonings, covered and left to cook slowly in the oven. • White braising involves vegetables and sweetbreads that are blanched, refreshed and cooked on this same root vegetable bed, using a white stock.

IDEAS TO BRAISE Cajun cooking has its holy trinity – peppers, celery and onions – and so does braising. Carrots for their mildness, celery for savouriness and onions with their natural sugars. Braising doesn’t have to be complicated. Pepper, red wine and lemon juice added to browned pork is as simple as it can get.

Go Mediterranean! Instead of the traditional vegetables, a sunnier combination could include: chilli paste, thyme, tomatoes, peppers, olives (black and green) and anchovies. In Italy, pork loin is rolled in chopped thyme, then braised in milk, tomatoes, leeks and celery. It’s called Maiale con Latte and is incredibly tender. The Spanish also braise pork loin in milk, with chopped onion, carrot, garlic and parsley. Pot au feu is as easy as combining pork loin, juniper berries, lemon zest, stock, garlic and seasoning.

• Braising delivers maximum flavour • Presentation can be varied and new flavours added to your menu

• Older, less tender cuts and joints can be used (and give great % gross profit)

P O R K P O S S I B I L I T I E S 31

Braising versatility

versatility

• Prunes, raisins, dried apples or apricots can complement pork’s richness and succulence, infusing every bite with natural sweetness. Let them soften slowly in the braise and you’ll be very pleasantly surprised • Sultanas, ginger, swede and soy sauce…they all work in your pan

Herbs also work well – sage, thyme, parsley, rosemary. A bouquet garni, a glass of white wine and a good glug of stock makes a great yet simple braise.

Glaze pork with honey, garlic, cider vinegar and marinate overnight. Sear the pork before braising.

Cider (and cider vinegar) works well with pork and combined with stock makes a great liquor for braising. A drop of cream or crème fraîche at the end adds indulgence. Sausages aren’t just for the barbecue. Marinate your pork sausages in wine, juniper berries and nutmeg then braise with onions, cabbage, prunes and ground cloves, cinnamon and sugar. Pig’s liver braised with bacon and onion is one of those British institutions that you either love or hate. The liver is braised whole (but with skin and tubes removed).

KEEP AN EYE ON THE FAT!

Rub a spice mix of paprika, sugar, chilli powder and pepper on your pork before browning and braising with vermouth, stock, cider vinegar and a little more sugar.

When stewing cuts of meat, there can be too much fat rendered into the braise. It’s tempting to remove the fat from the meat before starting but this could impact upon texture and taste so try to use this trick.

Force a tunnel in a piece of fillet and fill

Remove the cooked meat from the dish

with your chosen stuffing (onions, mushrooms and apples are good). Sear

so that excess fat can be skimmed off with a spoon and the remainder soaked

your fillet and braise with stock and some

up by carefully placing an absorbent

apple purée.

kitchen paper onto the surface. You’re left with all the flavour and only minimal fat.

STEW Stewing is the gentle simmering of pork pieces in the liquid in which they are to be served. It is both nutritional and economical.

GREAT STEWS With consumers spending less and less time on meal preparation at home, slow cooked dishes can appear more of a treat than fried or grilled prime cuts.

As one of the most widely cooked ingredients in the world, there are a myriad of ingredients and flavour combinations which are delicious stewed with pork.

When is a stew a braise? Stewing takes place in a brat pan or in a covered dish in the oven or on a hob. Braising requires the all round heat of the oven.

For those cooking to tight budgets, stewing is economical in terms of labour, because it is easy to cook in bulk. Stewing is particularly suitable for cost-effective cuts of meat, breaking down connective tissues and tenderising cuts that would be less succulent roasted or grilled.

Although stewing is about slow, gentle cooking, you should start the process by searing. The Maillard Reaction promotes natural sugars in the meat and its protein to react to form flavour compounds, colour and aromas which are then released into the sauce during stewing. Don’t forget to deglaze your frying pan with stock or wine. Bones in your stew will help to thicken the sauce. If your pork is boneless, see if your butcher will let you have some extra rind to add to the pot. Its gelatinous characteristics will enhance the stew yet further and the fat acts as a natural sauce emulsifier, no messing around with beurre manié! However, note that if your stew ‘boils’ the fat causes the sauce to go cloudy. Stews are very cost effective in that they use up ‘spares’ – leeks, mushrooms, tomatoes, parsnips, turnips… Nothing need go to waste if your imagination is exercised. Visible excess collagen should be trimmed but collagen within pork naturally thickens and adds gloss to sauces during stewing.

P O R K P O S S I B I L I T I E S 33

STEW SERVES: 10 2kg 20g 25g 60g 20g 800g 2g 200g 20g

Pork collar, 3cm dice Rosemary (3 sprigs) Garlic purée Olive oil Jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely diced Chopped tomatoes Cracked black pepper White wine Brown sugar

ITALIAN STYLE GOULASH Heat olive oil in an ovenproof pan. Add the diced collar and seal. Add the garlic, rosemary, jalapeño and black pepper, pour in the wine and cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and sugar. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook at 140ºC in an oven for 21⁄2 hrs or until tender. Serve with freshly cooked tagliatelle and Mediterranean vegetables.

Serving suggestion

P O R K P O S S I B I L I T I E S 35

CUT SHOWCASE

DICE AND CUBES

• Use cuts with a little intramuscular fat (marbling) to keep moist during cooking • Don’t dice/cut too small to avoid breaking up, flaking and over-cooking • Sear then stew • Don’t waste the bones, save them for stocks or sauces

36

STEWING SOLUTIONS The North Africans know a thing or two about stews. Spicy pork tagine harnesses dried apricots, onions, chickpeas, orange zest, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, allspice and of course, fresh coriander. Some Hungarians rub cubed pork with plenty of paprika, which when fried forms a brown crust. This crust provides the distinctive roasted flavour of classic Goulash, which is then diffused through the sauce during stewing.

“Pork is a grossly misrepresented meat. The health benefits of pork are not adequately publicised people think that pork means fat, that pork means unhealthy but it doesn't have to be. It has good flavour, good taste - the rare breeds have a lot of character and people like to ask us about them. I take the whole carcase, I'll use the ribs for something, the neck for something… we will use every part of the animal here. It's such a diverse meat, you can use it in many preparations.”

• What we call Goulash is known as Pörkölt in Hungary. Our word Goulash is a corruption of the Hungarian word Gulyás, a type of soup • The Hungarians have depended on pork for centuries but Pörkölt is a relatively modern dish; the first Hungarian reference to Paprika is in 1820

cyrus todiwala mbe Tamarind spice comes from the pod of the fruit of the tamarind tree. Combine with fresh chopped chilli and coconut milk to turn pork Thai. Rub the outside of your pork with turmeric before searing and stewing –

curries

great flavour, great colour!

Curries

have

become

a

British

Chantarelle, porcini and truffles all make

institution. Pork commonly forms the base for Tikka Masala or Goan Vindaloo. Start from scratch or use one of the

great additions to pork casseroles. There are plenty more varieties to choose from.

increasing number of culinary sauces designed for foodservice.

P O R K P O S S I B I L I T I E S 37

Dumplings add another

• Fold in half and tie belly pork slices –

• Make them full of the flavours that go

one ‘tendron’ will present and eat really well on top of some mash • Casserole stuffed pork parcels and you’ve made pork olives • Try some of the stuffing ideas on page 13 • Pork cutlets stew well – the bones help to thicken the sauce • Little pork meatballs are stewed the world over. Russian Pojarski taste great and cost little to make

best with pork: caraway seeds, coriander, dill, garlic, rosemary, sage, fennel, savory or thyme • Stuff prunes with walnuts and add to your casserole 20 minutes before the end of cooking • Suet crusties were traditionally served with bacon stewed in cider, but taste great with other stews too. Make with one quantity of suet to double the quantity of self-raising flour, season, mix to a soft dough with water and baked in the oven until crisp

In La Mancha, Spain, they wrap trotters and boil them whole, before boning them. The trotters are then filled with mushroom stuffing and served with mashed potatoes. A recipe for ‘Old English liver and bacon hotpot’… Fill casserole with alternating layers of sliced pig’s liver and chopped bacon, sliced apple and onion, mixed with breadcrumbs, parsley and marjoram. Season layers as you go and add stock before cooking.

dimension:

Some soups:

• Oriental pork and noodle – a clear soup flavoured with lemon grass and lime juice • Japanese pork and vegetable soup combines strips of pork belly with such obscure delights as gobo, konnyaku, mooli, kombu seaweed, sake and white

soups

stews

You can stew more than cubes:

miso

• Pork forms the base of Chinese hot and sour soup

PORK PRODUCTS It used to be said of the pig, that the only part not used was the ‘Oink’. The same is still true today.

SAUSAGE FACTS • It was during the reign of Charles I that sausages were divided into links for the first time

Most of a pig’s carcase can be used for prime pork cuts. Traditionally, much was cured for safekeeping as bacon, gammon or ham.

• Sausages got the name ‘bangers’ during World War 1, when they exploded due to their huge water content!

Whatever can’t be sold as prime finds a home in sausages and burgers. Blood goes into black pudding and offal into pork pâtés and terrines.

• The world’s longest sausage, made for British Sausage Week in October 2000, weighed 15.5 tonnes and was 35 miles long • Sausage machines can fill sausages at a rate of 1 1/2 miles per hour

Sausages history Homer mentions sausages in his work ‘The Odyssey’.Written over 2,700 years ago:

• Casings are still made from pig’s or

The English term ‘sausage’ comes from the Latin ‘salsus’, meaning ‘salted’.

sheep’s large or small intestines, but reformed collagen and cellulose casings are now more common

One of the first rules of meat preparation involves trimming. Properly trimmed meat prevents your customers from returning plates with excess fat, sinew and gristle on the side. Trimmings can be minced, used for sausages or at worst, for stock.

• We British consume over 175,000 tonnes of sausages a year, costing over £487 million • The premium sausage sector grew by over 24% in 2003. Consumption growth is greatest amongst men aged 17 – 24 years • 90% of British households buy sausages, 50% at least once a month. That means 5 million of us a day consume this humble product • We spend an average of £22.24 per year, per household just on sausages • Saturday is ‘sausage day’ – this is when we eat them most • The British Sausage Appreciation Society has over 6,000 members Source: Sausages – A Category Report, MLC 2003

P O R K P O S S I B I L I T I E S 39

PORK PRODUCTS SERVES: 10 1kg 100g 150g 200g 200g 800g 50g 10g 1.1kg

Pigs’ kidney, cored and washed Mustard (Dijon style) Shallots, finely diced White wine vinegar Butter Double cream Olive oil Tarragon, finely chopped Potato and chive cake (10)

KIDNEY DIJONNAISE Cut the kidneys into 3cm long strips. Gently fry shallots in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the prepared kidneys and fry for a further minute. Add the white wine vinegar, tarragon, cream, mustard and butter. Bring to the boil, simmer for 2 minutes. Serve on a baked potato and chive cake.

Serving suggestion

40

SAUSAGE CHOICE There are over 400 varieties of sausage available today, many named after the places where they were originally made. Are you making the most of your local banger?

• Wild boar sausages – darker and gamier

• Black pudding and white pudding (a Scotch delicacy made usually from various pig offal and pearl barley, oatmeal or breadcrumbs)

Some regional favourites:

Lincolnshire Medium grain, herby (sage or thyme) pork sausage Gloucester Traditionally made with Gloucestershire Old Spot pork, sage and apples

How about investing in some sausage making equipment and training? Profits will soon pay off the investment.

COOKING SAUSAGES

• To prick or not to prick? This is not a problem in premium sausages today – so cook slowly and evenly, but don’t prick them and risk the escape of flavoursome juices

bangers

Cumberland Chunky, coarse cut sausage, seasoned with black pepper and sold unlinked but curled

• It is very important to cook sausages

Marylebone A tradition among London butchers, made with mace, ginger and sage Oxford A pork/veal mix with added lemon, sage, savory and marjoram

thoroughly as bacteria may have reached the centre of such products during manufacture. Core temperature cooking should ensure destruction of such bacteria (see page 19)

• Grill sausage kebabs – skewer eating apples (skin on), sliced sausages, sage,

Welsh Pork flecked with green leek

onions and peppers

• For spicy sausage casserole – brown Suffolk Coarse chopped sausage with sage and thyme

The art of sausage making

chilli sausages, top with onions, peppers, sliced tomatoes, season, dot with butter and oven cook for an hour

P O R K P O S S I B I L I T I E S 41

BASIC RECIPE 900g 400g 100g

Lean pork Hard pork fat (back fat) White breadcrumbs Seasonings, e.g. sage, thyme, allspice

• Bake sausages with red onions and glaze with marmalade half way through cooking, or revisit Toad in the Hole – baked sausages at their best

Some salads:

• Sausage and potato salad with crumbled cheese and fresh herbs

• Sausage and apricot couscous salad • Sausage, warm red pepper and rocket Mix together and fill casings!

American diner slang: • ‘Hounds on an island’ means sausages and beans

• ‘Zeppelins in a fog’ equals bangers and mash

Bread alternatives: • In pitta with tzatziki • On naan bread with sweet curried mayo dip and cucumber raita

• In tortillas with guacamole, tomato salsa and sour cream

• Instead of fried onions and tomato ketchup, introduce sun-dried tomato or onion bread

Mash with a difference: • Add garlic and black pepper, red onion and basil or puréed beetroot to mash

• Substitute some or all the potatoes in your mash with sweet potato, pumpkin, parsnip, squash, chickpeas or celeriac • Serve sausages on potato or rosti pancakes as well as mash!

42

Child friendly dishes: • Mini toads in the hole can become galactic flying saucers

• Safari pasties – little pastry parcels of sliced bangers and beans

Much of the commercial ham is nowadays injected with the cure and smoke flavours, resulting in moister meat which is different in character from traditional dry cured ham.

• For sausage dippers – cut along sausage, insert stick of cheddar, wrap with bacon • Cowboy bake – sliced sausage and onions, braised in baked beans and topped with mash • One pan sausage pasta – fry chipolatas, add tomato pasta sauce, baked beans, sweetcorn, quick cook pasta and simmer. Top with grated Cheddar and serve

Air-drying is another curing method used for ham – with the help of some modern heating and fan systems, there is now some very convincing air-dried ham produced in the UK as well as elsewhere in the EU.

In fact, sausages are so much a part of British life and so universally enjoyed that there is an annual ‘British Sausage Week’, normally the last week of October each year!

Cooking ham

Air-dried ham with poached eggs is delicious, and much lower in fat than a traditional breakfast fry up.

There is a surprisingly wide variety of hams,

Hams make popular additions to buffets or carveries. Soaking is no longer necessary for modern ham joints. To cook – place in fresh cold water, bring to boil and simmer until correct core temperature is reached or simply roast. For cold hams, allow to cool in the

bacons and gammons to choose from and

water, cut away rind, dry and cover fat

plenty of ways for the caterer to use them.

surface with brown bread crumbs. Hot hams are removed from hot water

Ham came traditionally from the cured

before the end of cooking, glazed, then

leg of pork. Shoulders too can be cured but are not technically hams.

finished in a hot oven. Glazes are often based on brown sugar with additions such as cloves.

ham

CURED PORK

Traditional British hams such as York, Cumberland and Bradenham, are dry cured. This entails sprinkling salty cure on the skin and rubbing it repeatedly into the cut side of the ham. Cure ingredients include: sugar, treacle, vinegar, beer, spices, mustard and pepper. Traditional dry curing can take up to 7 days, followed by a further 7-10 days hanging. Some hams are also smoked over oak.

Other uses for hams include stuffings, mousses, soufflés, pâtés, pancake fillings and omelettes. Croque monsieur. Simple but delicious – ham and cheese in a sandwich fried in clarified butter, not oil.

P O R K P O S S I B I L I T I E S 43

Classic sauces for hot include:

ham

• Welsh Cawl Cennin, a leek broth made with ham stock and seasonal vegetables

• Cumberland • Madeira • Port • White sauce with parsley

• Don’t forget to garnish soups with

Sweet pickled fruits complement cold ham:

• Bacon, chicken liver and spicy mixed

• Damsons • Peaches • Greengages

• Bacon, goat’s cheese and toasted pine

crumbled, crispy bacon

Warm salads for summer menus: leaves nuts

Ideas for cubed gammon:

Cooking bacon and gammon

bacon

Whole gammon joints should be roasted at 130°C until the safe core temperature is reached (see page 19). Think beyond breakfast for the true potential of bacon. Bacon and fried egg muffins make great breakfasts, but what

• Crispy gammon, Savoy cabbage and soy stir-fry

gammon

Bacon is cut from the 'side' of the carcase and the gammon from the hind leg. As a caterer it really is worth paying extra for good quality bacon as it becomes very difficult to brown or crisp rashers of poor quality.

• With broad beans, parsley sauce and gammon (a common combination in traditional British regional cooking) • Warming winter casseroles with lentils, pearl barley, split peas or butter beans

Back to breakfast but with a difference:

• By sautéing sliced onions, stirring in marmalade and a little vinegar, create a great addition to bacon or gammon

• Marsh Pards were 17th century gypsies who lived in the fens. Marsh Pards’ relish

convenient ‘comfort food‘ for room

(sautéed tomato and grated cheese) was

service, brunch or kids’ menus.

used to top thick rashers of fried bacon

BACON IDEAS Bacon costs little but adds loads of flavour to soups: • Pumpkin and bacon • Bacon and leek • Old English ham soup made with ham stock, yellow split peas, carrots, onions and garnished with chopped ham and parsley

Ever thought about making your own bacon? There are plenty of companies who sell simple-to-use packs of cures to make your own.

Fidget Pie is a shortcrust pastry pie filled with bacon or ham, potatoes, apples and stock. Fantastic!

44

PORK PÂTÉS AND TERRINES

PORK BRAWN (10 portions)

Pâté turns up on so many menus. Most buy it in ready made, but if you want to offer customers some more unusual pâtés ‘made in our own kitchens’, here are some ideas:

750g 750g

• Lincolnshire Haslet: a coarse pâté made by mixing minced pig’s liver and heart with onions and sage. Packed into a lined terrine dish and baked in a moderate oven • Sussex farmhouse pâté: belly pork, half its weight in bacon and in pig’s liver, plus onions, wholewheat breadcrumbs and plenty of fresh mixed herbs. Mince ingredients, pack into lined terrines and bake slowly in a bain marie • Country loaf: mince equal quantities of raw gammon, sausage meat and pig’s liver, with onions, garlic, herbs (including bay) and brandy. Line terrine dish with bacon rashers, pack in pâté and bake in a bain marie • Sausage meat terrine: the inclusion of apricot and pistachio makes a delicious combination

500g 2kg 4g 10 2g 2g 4 20g 10g 10g 25g 500g 600g 600g 600g

Pig’s cheek meat with rind on Pig’s head meat (ears, brain, snout removed), leave rind on Pig's trotters (split in half) Pork bones Ground black peppercorns Cloves Dried marjoram or oregano Ground mace Bay leaves Fresh sage Fresh thyme Fresh rosemary Parsley sprigs (include stalks) Onions, whole Large carrots, large rough-cut Shin of veal/beef Knuckle of veal

Bring to the boil then skim the surface of the liquid regularly during the first 5-10 minutes. Simmer for 4 hours, topping up with water as required. Once cooked thoroughly (meat should fall off any bone), strain the cooking liquid into a new pan, discard the bones, trotters, vegetables and herbs and bring to the boil. Reduce the cooking liquor to less than half its original volume and pass through muslin. Meanwhile, remove the

Kidneys are incised at the abattoir as part of the stringent Meat Hygiene Service checks that establish whether the pork is fit for human consumption In Goa, Sorpotel is a classic pork dish, slowcooked and then eaten 3 or 4 days later.The dish uses the liver, heart, kidneys, spleen, blood, lungs and the pork meat itself.

rind from the meat and discard, then cut the meat into small pieces. Place the meat in a large bowl and stir in enough stock to cover, mixing well. Pour the mixture into large terrine moulds, cool and refrigerate until set. To serve, invert the terrine on a plate and ease out the brawn. Slice the brawn and serve with salad, potatoes and some good bread.

Pickled Gloucestershire Old Spots Pork and Foie Gras Terrine Courtesy of Sonia Fitzsimons

B U Y I N G , S P E C I F Y I N G & H A N D L I N G P O R K 45

BUYING , SPECIFYING & HANDLING PORK

A pig’s breed, lifestyle and age at slaughter work together to determine the character and quality of the pork it provides, as does the treatment of the carcase at the abattoir and butcher. To serve great pork, choose your supplier with care, provide detailed specifications for each purchase, then ensure correct handling and cooking in your kitchen.

WHICH SUPPLIER/BUTCHER? The surest way to secure a consistent supply of good quality pork is to build up a longterm relationship with a good butcher or meat supplier. Always explain the nature of your business to your meat supplier. Invite them to dine, so that they understand your

WHICH PIG? The main factors determining the quality and characteristics of the pork that you receive are: breed, age, lifestyle, maturation and packaging.

BREED Pig breeds fall into two categories – modern and traditional. Modern pig breeds are the result of selective breeding for high lean content and litter productivity. This makes them less expensive to produce than the traditional breeds, and the obvious choice for caterers on restricted budgets. Selective breeding of these modern strains has reduced the fat content of British pork by more than a third over the last 20 years, to only 4% on average, making them an attractive protein

needs and become part of the team. Visit

proposition for chefs in the health sector

their operation too.

or those catering for low-fat diets.

Always provide suppliers with detailed

The Duroc and Hampshire have the best

specifications when ordering your meat. They should be willing and able to source, cut and trim pork to your detailed brief, and

reputation among the modern breeds for eating quality. Pietrain crosses are

to provide all the information that you require about your pork’s provenance and history. If you wish to purchase BPEX Quality Assured Pork, you will need to buy from an approved supplier. If your current supplier is not approved, encourage them to seek approval via BPEX or the offices of an approved scheme.

popular for their high yields of lean meat, but the purebred Pietrains are rare. Traditional breeds are smaller animals, producing smaller litters and take longer to grow, all factors that push up the price of their meat. However, with growing consumer interest in traditional foods, the use of ‘traditional breed’ pork can boost sales and provide a real point of difference on the menu. Tamworth and

46

Berkshire pigs are renowned for their eating quality, providing particularly firm, dark muscle and white fat.

“Pork dishes are always very popular, I find Middle White pork is very tender and gives a much deeper flavour than is usually associated with pork. I have been using traditional and rare breeds for over five years and I ensure that customers are aware of the type and origin of meat on our menus – it tends to encourage them to try something different from what they would normally eat at home.” john campbell executive chef

SOME PIG BREEDS MODERN Generally larger than traditional, moderns have high lean content.

British Landrace

Duroc

Hampshire

Large White

Welsh

TRADITIONAL Less common, small, less fast growing: more expensive!

Berkshire

Tamworth

British Saddleback

Gloucestershire Old Spot

Large Black

Middle White

B U Y I N G , S P E C I F Y I N G & H A N D L I N G P O R K 47

INDOOR/OUTDOOR?

Younger pigs produce more tender pork, which cooks quicker. As pigs age, their flavour increases but their muscle becomes firmer.

The majority of British pork is produced indoors, and of the pigs born outside into extensive rearing systems almost all will be ‘finished’ indoors. Conditions in British indoor systems are well regulated and well enforced. Tethers and stalls have been banned in the UK since 1999.

In Britain most Quality Assured BPEX Pigs are slaughtered between 5 and 7 months of age. This is younger than is common practice in much of Europe and explains the relative infrequence of boar taint in British pork. The term boar taint describes an abnormal odour and flavour generated during the cooking of pork from older males. Traditional breeds take longer to mature so are usually older at slaughter.

husbandry

AGE

A sharp increase in outside pig production is predicted as consumer demands for meat from animals reared in wide-open spaces grows. Producers and retailers claim that their ‘outdoor’ pigs provide better eating quality and welfare standards. However, almost all pigs spend time indoors at some stage of their life.

AT THE ABATTOIR LIFESTYLE The BPEX Quality Scheme recognises the importance of lifestyle to pig welfare and to pork quality, hence strict guidelines on: feed standards, housing, stocking densities and veterinary medicines.

BPEX Scheme abattoirs are heavily regulated and regularly inspected. This is important for pig welfare and also for the quality of pork produced. Muscle quality is best when the animals are unstressed at slaughter. Correct

Chefs looking for other guarantees may consider purchasing Organic Pork produced

handling of the carcases and careful quality control procedures have all but

under legislative requirements which

eliminated quality problems in BPEX Quality Assured Pork.

exclude feed additives and most drugs. Organic food is increasingly popular with consumers, many of whom are prepared to pay a premium for it. However, caterers who buy certified organic meats and wish to describe them as organic on menus must first seek further organic certification through one of the 10 UK organic certification bodies.

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PACKAGING

The maturation period is made up of time ‘hanging’ as a carcase and time maturing in vacuum packs after butchery.

Packaging is important for the safe, clean and easy transport of pork cuts. It affects the maturation process, holding in moisture and excluding air.

hanging

MATURATION

Hanging takes place in a cool, dry environment at the abattoir or butcher and is important for eating quality. During hanging, and subsequent maturation, natural enzymes act on the fibres of the muscle meat, improving tenderness and enhancing flavour. There are two methods of carcase hanging, the traditional Achilles method, and the newer hip (aitch bone) suspension now recommended by the MLC for improved tenderness. Pork should hang for less time than other red meats because the muscles are relatively tender and fresher pork tastes best. The optimum maturation time for BPEX Quality Assured Pork is 12 days, although significant sensory tenderness can be achieved in only 4 days with aitch bone hanging.

Different packaging options include: • Vacuum packaging. The preferred option among caterers, it works by forcing air out of the pack. Shelf life is determined by conditions under which meat was packaged but is longer than the other commonly used methods • Polythene bags are the least expensive option but shelf life is shorter • Overwrap trays (light gauge PVC stretched across an expanded polystyrene tray) are low cost, but can be prone to leakage, have a short shelf life and perform poorly when frozen • Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) – meat is packed under high O2 and CO2 levels, preventing spoilage and providing better colour of meat

Vaccum packaging remains the preferred method for foodservice

B U Y I N G , S P E C I F Y I N G & H A N D L I N G P O R K 49

TRADITIONAL OR SEAM BUTCHERY? There are two main types of butchery: • The tradition in the UK has until recently been to cut the carcase following the bone structure, thus mixing muscles with different characteristics in one cut giving a variety of eating qualities and textures, some better than others • Seam butchery comes from the Continent, but is used increasingly in the UK and has been continually developed by MLC’s butchery team • In seam butchery, the carcase is cut according to muscle position and the natural ‘seams’

The advantages of seam butchery include: • More consistent cooking and eating quality because cuts include just one continuous muscle rather than one or more with different structures • Better portion control • Little or no plate waste • Easier carving of joints

A QUICK NOTE ON FAT Trimmed BPEX Quality Assured Pork can be as low as 4% fat. Some fat is necessary for good flavour because many flavour-bearing molecules are soluble in fat, but not in water. Fat also keeps the meat moist and succulent while it cooks.

More than 50% of the fat present in pork is unsaturated; the type that is better for you and associated with the healthy Mediterranean diet.

If you are catering for reduced-fat diets: • Ask your butcher to trim to a specified fat level • Use healthy cooking methods such as dry frying or grilling on a rack • Trim off any remaining fat before service

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LABELLING Pork suppliers to the catering industry must by law label their meat with certain, accurate information. This is set out below alongside additional useful information, which any good butcher should be happy to provide on request.

REQUIRED BY LAW

LY N O LE P AM X E

DESIRABLE INFORMATION

LY N O E L MP A EX

B U Y I N G , S P E C I F Y I N G & H A N D L I N G P O R K 51

SPECIFICATIONS Supplying accurate, detailed specifications for all pork purchases saves time and money. It ensures that you receive pork: • Of the quality, style and price to suit your needs • Cut, trimmed and ready to cook, saving kitchen time and reducing waste

Note: You are not obliged to accept meat that is ‘off spec’. Send it back and get your supplier to redeliver (or change the supplier).

The example below provides the framework for clear and comprehensive pork purchase specifications.

BPEX PORK PURCHASE SPECIFICATION Cut Name Caterers Code Carcase Abattoir/Slaughter Carcase Origin Weight Sex Trim Level

EXAMPLE ONLY PHOTO 1

PHOTO 2

Pork chunky XXXXXXX BPEX Quality Standard Approved Premises UK 60kg Female Fat thickness should not exceed 10mm at any point

Y L N O E L P M A X E

Butchers Specification

Thick Flank Muscle

Sliced across muscle grain into leg fillets, thickness 2cm

Cross-score surface at 1cm intervals (See pull-out table for other pork cuts or better still supply a photograph)

Portions Number Portion Weight Packaging

Temperature Storage Delivery

40 Portions – one chunky per portion 0.35kg +- 10g Vacuum packed in batches of 10 and labelled with: Kill date, Pack date, Use by date (min shelf life of 7 days), Name of cut, Pack weight, Portion weight, Country of origin, Supplier details. 1 – 4ºC 1 – 4ºC

52

HANDLING PORK Regularly check pork supplies on delivery: • Record the delivery temperature to ensure it’s within your specification (preferably 1º - 4ºC) • Check that the label matches the meat it accompanies as well as your specification • Skin should be clean and undamaged with no bruises or lacerations • Fat level should not exceed specified requirements • Flesh should be pink, firm with a fine texture and shiny but not damp, weepy or slimy • Check the quality of butchery, e.g. no deep incisions

STORAGE Store meat below 5ºC to inhibit the growth of food poisoning bacteria. These bacteria grow fastest at 37ºC.

Store meat in its packaging to maximise shelf life. Any use by dates become invalid once the meat is unpacked.

USE BY DATE SAFE HANDLING Food businesses should always keep raw and cooked foods apart in all areas (manufacture, storage and display), to ensure that there is no cross contact with common surfaces and equipment. For chefs and caterers this means: • Never cool cooked meats on surfaces that are also used for raw meats • Never store cooked meats next to or below raw meats

• Never handle cooked and raw meats without thorough hand washing with anti-bacterial soap Never use the same surfaces for cooked • and raw products • Wooden surfaces should not be used for cooked meats or meat products • Never use the same equipment and utensils for cooked and raw meats • Always cover cooked meats in storage • Never lift raw food over cooked • Have separate wrapping, slicing and weighing areas for raw and cooked food • Use serving tongs to avoid touching cooked meat

It is illegal to sell food after its ‘use by date’. However a caterer may prepare a dish using meat, and sell that dish after the ‘use by date’, provided it is safe for them to do so, since the date marking applies to the meat, not the product made from it. It is illegal to alter or remove a ‘use by date’ without written permission from the person that applied that date.

B U Y I N G , S P E C I F Y I N G & H A N D L I N G P O R K 53

MINIMUM COOKING TIMES AND TEMPERATURES Cooking meat When you cook pork as minced/chopped meat (for example sausages) and rolled joints, you should make sure that the centre of the meat reaches one of the following temperatures for at least the time given: 60°C 65°C 70°C 75°C 80°C

for 45 mins for 10 mins for 2 mins for 30 secs for 6 secs

You can eat whole cuts of beef, lamb and pork when they are pink or rare. This is because any bacteria are generally on the outside of the meat so if the outside is cooked, this should kill any bacteria, even if the middle of the meat is still pink. Source: Food Standards Agency

temperature of 71ºC is sufficient to ensure the destruction of bacteria that cause food poisoning. This research is supported by guidelines from the Department of Health in the UK. MLC recommends that for whole pork cuts and joints, chefs offer customers the choice of their pork cooked rare, medium or well done, just as they would with other red meats as long as the meat has been seared on the outside to kill any bacteria. However rolled joints, sausages, burgers and other processed pork products must be well cooked at their centre to kill off any bacteria that might have found their way there during preparation or manufacture.

A probe thermometer is the most reliable way to test internal meat temperatures. Always clean the thermometer thoroughly before and after probing food

RE-HEATING PORK An independent review carried out for the MLC by Campden and Chorleywood Food RA stated that ‘reducing end point cooking temperatures improves eating quality of pork’. The research also found that cooking pork to achieve a minimum internal

• Meat should be re-heated only once • Meat sold hot should be kept above 63ºC prior to sale

• Hot food should be re-heated until piping hot (to at least 82ºC at its core – Scotland only)

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SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) T 01609 761547 F 01609 761548 E [email protected] www.aims2001.co.uk

National Association of Catering Butchers (NACB) T 020 7248 1896 F 020 7329 0658 E [email protected] www.nacb.co.uk

British Pig Association T 01223 845100 E [email protected] www.britishpigs.org

Rare Breeds Survival Trust www.rare-breeds.com

British Pig Executive T 01908 844368 F 01908 844289 E [email protected] www.bpex.org.uk British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) T 020 7329 0776 E [email protected] www.bmpa.uk.com British Sausage Appreciation Society Contact MLC Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) T 08459 335577 E [email protected] www.defra.gov.uk

The Soil Association T 0117 929 0661 F 0117 925 2504 www.soilassociation.org MLC offers a number of courses including: • The Meat Appreciation Course – the recognising and understanding of different cuts of pork and the product characteristics of those cuts. It also covers the handling of meat to ensure that quality is maintained • The Meat Cookery Course covers cooking techniques for pork. Attendees learn to cook for tenderness and flavour • The Butchery Skills Course is both practical and technical and is designed to provide a full understanding of both traditional and seam butchery techniques

• Bespoke training courses, created to Food Standards Agency (FSA) T 020 7276 8000 www.foodstandards.gov.uk Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) T 01908 844114 F 01908 671722 E [email protected] www.mlcfoodservice.com

meet the needs of individual catering organisations

A COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE BUYING & PREPARATION OF PORK

Carvery roast

R

££

Ideal shape for portion control.

RPB

£

FGQ

£

FGQ

£

FGSQ

£

Very acceptable to a wide range of flavours, ideal for Chinese and Greek dishes. A long, slow moist roasting method works best with collar. Best braised, marinate to add flavour. Steam first to tenderise, then finish off on BBQ or griddle. Shallow fry, sauté, griddle. Marinate to add flavour, great on the BBQ! Take care not to overcook. Marinate to add flavour, ideal for slow, moist methods of cookery.

RPBTG

££

Ideal for rotisserie cooking, may be stuffed. Great for use in buffets.

RPBTG

£££

R

£££

Undercooking appears to give better tenderness and juiciness. Serve with beef accompaniments. Superb all round cut, great for roasting.

R FGQRG

£££ £££

Can be served rind on or rindless. Serve with accompaniments. Shallow fry, grill or sauté. Cooked to preferred degree.

FGQRG

££

Shallow fry, grill or sauté. Ideal for BBQ.

GFQ FGR

£££ £££

Shallow fry, sauté or griddle, ideal for BBQ. Shallow fry, sauté or griddle. Fry flat or may be stuffed and folded back into steak.

Loin eye rashers

Use shoulder block (collar removed). Remove all bones except hock. Trim meat of excess fat and gristle. Roll and tie. Remove collar from shoulder block, remove the thin tail muscles. Roll collar and secure with string or roasting bands before cooking. Remove collar from shoulder block, remove the thin tail muscles and square up both ends. Slice steaks to required thickness. Remove collar from shoulder block, remove the thin tail muscles and square up both ends. Thinly slice to required thickness. Prepared from a boneless, fully trimmed collar, divide collar lengthways and cut into required portion size, secure with roasting bands Sheet bone the ribs and vertebrae from middle. Remove rind and fat from full width of loin eye. Wrap belly round loin into a roll and tie. Remove the fillet and bones from the loin. May have rind left on or off, secure with string and cut to required joint size. Use rib section of loin. Remove rind and vertebrae. Then expose the rib tips (larder trim) by removing meat, the fat, and associated intercostal muscles. Cut from lumbar section of the loin (bone-in). Cut from lumbar section of the loin (bone-in). Cut chops between the cartilage disks of the lumbar section of the loin. Cut from rib section of loin. Remove vertebrae and larder trim the rib ends. Portion cutlets between the ribs. Remove bone and rind from loin. Cut slices thin for rashers and thicker for steaks. Remove bone and rind from loin. Cut partially through the first slice and fully through the second slice and open out. Remove all fat and gristle from a boneless loin. Slice evenly into thin rashers

FG

£££

Shallow fry, sauté or griddle. Can be used in sandwiches or on a salad.

Brasserie steaks

Remove bone and rind from the loin, cut into double thick steaks and tie into rounds.

RBF

£££

Fillet (tenderloin)

Removed from the inside lumbar region of the loin.

FG

££££

Ideal for fine dining. Shallow fry or sauté. For thicker cut steaks, reduce heat after searing to cook through. Ideal for fine dining, shallow fry or sauté slices.

Belly roast

Separate the belly from the loin. Remove bones and rind from the belly. Roll, tie and cut to required size. Separate the belly from the loin. Sheet bone and de-rind belly. Slice thin for rashers, thicker for slices. Separate the belly from loin. Remove bones and rind from belly and cut belly into squares of required portion weight. Separate the belly from loin. Remove bones and rind from belly, fold lengthways to produce U shape and secure with bands and slice to required portion weight. Sheet bone ribs from belly. Split ribs. Prepared from the whole leg and chump. Remove all bones, topside and thick flank muscles and internal fat and gristle. Hock may be left on or off, rind on or off. Secure with string. Produced from fully trimmed topside, silverside, thick flank and chump muscles. Cut into required size joints and secure with roasting bands. Rind may be added to joint if required. Prepared from fully trimmed topside or thick flank muscles. Cut evenly to required thickness. Prepared from boneless chump, rind on or off. Slice to required thickness. Produced from fully trimmed topside muscle. Cut into required size portions and secure with roasting bands. Prepared from a fully trimmed thick flank muscle and secured with roasting bands.

RPBT

£

GQ BF

£ £

Great for rotisserie cooking. Otherwise, roast on a trivet of vegetables and bones so fat can drip away. Grill on a rack to allow excess fat to drip away. Remove excess fat for barbecues. Ideal for slow, moist cooking processes, may be marinated, great on the BBQ!

GQ

£

Slow cooking gives best results. Works well on the BBQ.

GQ R

£ ££

Do not overcook to maintain succulence. Great on the BBQ! Boneless cut with a good shape for cooking and portion controlled slicing.

BR

£££

FGQ FGQ B

££ £££ ££

Individual portions can be cooked to preference. Line the joints up on a spit for impact. Can be served as a sharing dish for two people. Shallow fry or sauté. Works well on the BBQ. Shallow fry or sauté. Works well on the BBQ. Ideal for braising.

B

££

Braise whole and serve with chunky vegetables.

BFGQ

££

Shank/knuckle Osso bucco Trotters Stir fry strips Cubes and dice

Prepared from fully trimmed leg muscles (topside/silverside and thick flank and chump). Cut to required portion weights. Removed whole from the leg, rind on or off. Prepared from trimmed and de-rinded shank. Cut through the bone into two even sized portions. From fore or hind quarter. Trotters removed through natural joint. Produced from any muscles suitable for frying. Fully trimmed of fat and gristle. Prepared from lean muscles, fully trimmed of fat and gristle.

B B B F BFGQ

£ £ £ £ £

Lean pork mince

Prepared from lean muscles, fully trimmed of gristle and a visual lean of 75%.

FGQ

£

BF

£

B G GR

£ £££ £££

Score chunkies to aid cooking. Diagonal score for better presentation. When frying thicker cuts, reduce flame after searing to cook through. Ideal cut for BBQ. Best braised with rind off. Steam cook and roast. Can be produced from fore and hindquarter. Can be stuffed with sausage meat and black pudding. Shallow, stir-fry or deep-fry. Coat before deep-frying to prevent sticking together. Large dice (2cm), fully trimmed of fat and gristle. Shallow or deep-fry. Great for the BBQ but make sure wood kebab sticks are soaked to prevent burning (or use rosemary twigs). Form into meatballs, koftas and burgers. Fat at 75% visual lean can help with taste and texture. Shallow or stir-fry. Great for the BBQ! Soak in cold water or milk to remove unpleasant taste. First skin, halve, core, soak and then sauté! Rinse in cold water. Remove major veins before using and cooking. Great for rotisserie cooking. Allow enough time to cook through and order enough! Great for rotisserie cooking. Allow enough time to cook through and order enough! 5 -10kg is the optimum weight.

Collar roast (boneless) Collar steak Collar rasher Collar daubes Loin and belly roast (middle) Loin roast (boneless) Rack roast Loin T-bone Loin T-bone chops Cutlet/rib chops Loin steaks or rashers Double loin or valentine steaks

Belly slices or rashers Belly blocks Tendrons Spare ribs Carvery leg roast Mini joints Leg steak (topside/thick flank) Rump/chump steak Daubes (topside) Cushion (thick flank) Chunkies

Kidney Liver Whole hog Suckling pig

Specify weight and grade when ordering Specify weight and grade when ordering

B BRAISING F FRYING G GRILLING P POT ROAST £ BUDGET CUT ££ MID PRICED CUT £££ PRIME CUT

R ROAST

S

STEWING

Q BBQ/CHARGRILL

T

ROTISSERIE