Pork

Roast pork sandwiches

Enough for 6

large onion - 1

olive oil - 4 tbs

garlic - 4 cloves

rosemary - a couple of bushy sprigs

large, fresh bay leaves - 3

black peppercorns - 18 or so

fennel seeds - 2 tsp

lemon - 1

a piece of belly pork with plenty of fat, scored by the butcher - 1kg

bitter salad leaves - a few

enough soft rolls for 6

Heat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Peel the onion, then halve and slice it thinly. Soften it in the olive oil over a moderately high heat. Peel and finely chop the garlic, then stir it into the onion.

Pull the rosemary leaves from their branches and chop them finely - you should have a good tablespoonful. Stir this into the onions, then finely chop the bay leaves and add them, too. Crush the peppercorns, stir them in with the fennel seeds and a grinding of salt and let everything cook until it is pale gold and fragrant. Squeeze in the lemon juice. It will dissolve any gooey panstickings into the mixture.

Salt and pepper the pork and lay it skin-side up in a baking dish or small roasting tin, tucking the seasoned onion around it. Bake for a good hour, occasionally stirring in any onion that threatens to stick on the tin.

Wash the salad leaves and cut the bread rolls in half. Remove the meat from the oven and let it rest for five minutes, then slice it thinly. Divide the salad between the bread and pile the sliced pork and seasoned onions in place.

Pork steaks with gruyère and marsala

Serves 2

smoked streaky bacon - 100g

shallot - 1, finely chopped

medium flat brown mushrooms - 4, finely diced

boneless loin pork chops - 2

marsala - 6 tbs

a little olive oil or butter

gruyère cheese - 100g, diced small

chopped parsley - 3 tbs

Cut the bacon into short strips and put into a wide, shallow pan. Fry over a medium heat until the fat runs and the bacon turns golden at the edges. Add the shallot and cook over a medium heat until translucent. Add the mushrooms and a drizzle of oil or a knob of butter if there isn't enough fat left from the bacon. Cook until the mushrooms are tender.

Meanwhile, bat out the pork chops with an oiled rolling-pin or similar implement. Turn up the heat a little and then add half the marsala. Scrape up the sediment in the pan and stir into the mixture. Remove from the heat and spoon the mushrooms, bacon and shallot into a small bowl. Add the cheese and half the parsley, season lightly and mix gently. Set aside, get the grill hot.

Place the pan back over the heat - it should still have some of the cooking juices left in it - if not, add a tablespoon of oil. Get the pan hot, then add the pork. Cook for 2 minutes, and then turn and cook the other sides. Turn off the heat and divide the cheese mixture between the pork slices. Place the pan under the grill for about 2 minutes until the cheese is bubbling. Lift out the pork slices and put them on warm plates. Place the pan back on the heat and leave until it sizzles. Pour in the remaining marsala and boil for a few seconds. Pour the mixture over the pork. Sprinkle over the rest of the parsley and serve.

Beef and lamb

Two great beef dishes

Vietnamese beef salad

Serves 2 as a main dish

sirloin steaks - 2 large

bird's eye chilli - 1

lime - 1

sugar - a good pinch

Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce - 2 tbs

sweet chilli sauce - 1½ tbs

lime leaves - 4 large or 6 smaller ones

coriander leaves - a large handful

mint leaves - a large handful

cucumber - a 5cm length

carrot - 1 medium

watercress - 1 bunch

tomatoes - 2 large or 8 cherry

Season the steaks with black pepper and a little oil and set them aside while you heat a grill or griddle pan.

Halve the bird's eye chilli, scrape out and discard the seeds. Shred the flesh finely then put it into a mixing bowl with the juice of the lime, the sugar, fish sauce and the sweet chilli sauce. Mix thoroughly.

Remove the stem and central vein from the lime leaves then roll up the leaves and shred them very, very finely. Put them in a serving dish. Roughly chop the coriander leaves and the mint. Cut the cucumber and carrot into matchstick-size pieces, peeling it first if you wish, then add them to the lime leaves with the chopped herbs.

Wash the watercress and remove the stems. Slice the tomatoes into thin segments and add with the watercress to the rest of the salad. Grill the steaks briefly, salting them as they cook. They should be nicely singed on the outside and deep rosy pink within. Slice them into finger-thick strips, then toss with the salad and dressing. Serve while the steak is still hot.

Steak panini with mustard mayonnaise

A chunky steak sandwich perked up with a mustard mayonnaise. I use smooth Dijon or, when I can find it, green peppercorn mustard.

Serves 2

olive oil

rump steak - 2 x 150g pieces, cut thin

small ciabatta or small French sticks - 2

green peppercorn Dijon mustard - 2-3 tsp

good quality mayonnaise - 2 tbs

rocket or watercress - a small bunch

Lightly oil and season the steak with salt and black pepper then cook on a hot grill or ridged grill pan. It will only need a few minutes to colour on the outside. Take it off while it's still pink in the middle and leave it to rest.

Cut the bread in half lengthways and toast the cut halves on one side. Mix the mustard with the mayonnaise. Spread the bottom piece of toasted bread with the mustard mayonnaise then pile with trimmed watercress and rocket leaves. Place the steak on top, pour over any juices that have collected on the plate then top with the second half of bread.

Two delicious lamb dishes

Lamb chump chops with yoghurt and mint

These are good to eat with a cucumber salad dressed with white wine vinegar and chopped fresh dill, and fragrant brown basmati rice.

Serves 2

thick, natural plain yoghurt - 6 tbs

garlic - 2 plump cloves, peeled

fresh mint leaves - a small handful

ground cumin and ground coriander - 1 tsp each

cayenne pepper - ½ tsp

salt and freshly ground black pepper - ¼ tsp each

chump chops - 4 x 2cm thick, weighing 400g in total

Mix all the ingredients except the lamb in the blender or by hand. Heat the grill to very hot. Slather the spiced yoghurt over both sides of the lamb and grill till firm and slightly charred at the edges. The lamb should be pink in the middle, about 4 minutes on each side.

Lamb-filled flatbread

Spice-crusted lamb, garlic-scented yoghurt and the hot smokiness of ground paprika - a sandwich to eat outdoors.

Makes 4

coriander seed - 1 tsp

cumin seed - 1 tsp

black peppercorns - 6

garlic - 3 cloves

olive oil - 3 tbs

lamb - 1 whole fillet

for the yoghurt:

coriander leaves - 1 small bunch

mint leaves - a few sprigs

thick yoghurt - 200g

garlic - 2 cloves

to serve:

rocket or watercress - 4 handfuls

whole mint leaves - a few

lemon - 1

warmed flatbreads - 4

a little hot smoked paprika

Grind the coriander, cumin seed and black peppercorns to a rough powder with a pestle and mortar. Peel the garlic and mash it into the spices with the olive oil. Rub the paste all over the lamb fillet and set aside for an hour or two.

Make the yoghurt dressing by pulling the leaves from the herbs and finely chopping them. Stir them into the yoghurt. Peel and finely chop the garlic and add. Cover tightly and keep refrigerated till the kebabs are ready.

Heat the grill, barbecue or a ridged cast-iron grill pan. Season the lamb with salt and lay it on the grill and leave to brown nicely, a matter of five or six minutes then turn and cook till that side, too, is crusty and the inside a rosy pink. Set aside for a full five minutes to rest.

Toss the rocket or watercress and whole mint leaves with lemon juice. Slice the lamb thickly then place two or three slices on a piece of warm flatbread together with a handful of salad and a large spoonful of yoghurt. Dust with a shake of paprika and roll up.