Pork Recipes that are Quick, Easy and Delicious

You will find quick, easy and delicious pork recipes here for pork chops, pork shoulder, pork tenderloin, pork sausages and good old baked hams and pork roasts. In days gone by, people used to stay away from pork because of its high fat content. These days pigs are bred for more lean meat, and as a result, pork is again gaining popularity.

Soaking:

Hams, especially those to be baked, often benefit from soaking before cooking. This is because soaking removes some of the excess salt from the meat. Cover the meat completely with cold water. Stand for 12-24 hours in cold water, preferably in the fridge if you live in a hot climate.

Boiling:

Weigh the ham and calculate the cooking time. Allow 25 - 34 minutes per 500 g. Take the ham out of the soaking water and place the ham in a large pot and cover with fresh, cold water. Bring to the boil. Add sprigs of parsley, thyme, a bay leaf, peppercorns and 1 - 2 sliced onions.

Cover the pan and simmer the ham over a low heat for the required time, or until tender when pierced. Lift out, and allow to drain. Remove the skin, glaze if required. Serve hot or cold.

Baking:

Weigh the ham and calculate the cooking time for your pork recipes. Allow 25 - 35 minutes per 500 g for hams under 6 kg, and 15 minutes per 500 g for hams 6 kg and over. Soak the ham, then place on a rack in a large roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer, if available. Bake in a preheated oven, 160°C, for the required time, or until the meat thermometer reaches 70°C.

Remove the skin, glaze if wished and serve the ham hot or cold.

PORK RECIPES: PORK CASSEROLE

2 onions, thinly sliced

2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced

1 turnip, cut into thin strips

1 leek, cut into thin rings

480 g shoulder steak, trimmed of fat

400 g tinned tomatoes in juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

Place half the onions, celery, turnip and leek in a casserole dish.

Cut the pork into cubes. Add to the casserole. Cover with the remaining vegetables.

Drain tomatoes, reserving juice. Chop tomatoes and place over vegetables and meat. Measure 100 ml of the reserved juice and pour over casserole. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover and cook in preheated oven, 180°C, for 1/2 - 2 hours, until cooked.

Remove the rind and fat from enough large, leg pork chops to give you 700g after the trimming.

Arrange in a shallow baking dish, fitting closely, but not overlapping.

Crush: 1 large clove garlic directly onto chops

Mix: 200 ml apple juice

25 ml soy sauce

6 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

Pour over chops.

The liquid should just cover the chops. Leave for 2-3 hours and then cover and bake on middle shelf at 165°C or 325°F for at least 1 hour and 15 mins. By this time they should be well cooked and the liquid should be reduced to about 125 ml.

Remove chops and arrange on warm platter. Don't salt, as you have enough salt in the soy sauce.

Pour the pan drippings into a pot and thicken with 12,5 ml cornflour mixed with 50 ml white wine. Allow to boil up and, while stirring, add 2 ml sugar and 25 ml thin cream. Pour over chops and serve with vegetables of your choice.

900 g large leg pork chops, after trimming

oil for frying

12,5 ml brandy

12 small onions

20 g cornflour

250 ml red wine

2 ml dried oregano

2 ml dried sage

1 bay leaf

30 g raisins

5 ml brown sugar

5 ml salt

250 ml chicken stock

Fry trimmed chops in a little oil until golden brown on both sides. Flame with the brandy, then remove to baking dish.

Add the 12 small, peeled onions to the pan and add a little oil if necessary. Brown lightly and add to chops in baking dish. Do not overlap chops.

Into the pan drippings stir in 20 g cornflour (37,5 ml) and cook over low heat for 1 minute, stirring all the time. Slowly add all the rest of the ingredients, starting with the wine.

Stir until sauce thickens. Pour over chops and onions and cover tightly with foil. Bake in middle shelf at 165°C or 325°F for at least 1 hour and 15 mins, or cooked through and tender.

900g pork leg chops, after trimming

a little oil for frying

250 ml chicken stock

50 ml white wine

5 ml dried sage

250 ml evaporated milk

250 ml milk

25 ml cornflour

25 ml mild, prepared mustard

Trim the fat off the pork and fry in a little oil until both sides are golden brown. Transfer to a baking dish. Do not overlap. Season lightly.

Remove oil from pan. Add the chicken stock, wine and the dried sage.

Pour over chops and cover with foil. Bake in middle shelf at 165°C or 325°F for at least 1 hour and 15 mins, or cooked through and tender.

Arrange on a serving platter, and pour the gravy from the baking dish into a saucepan. There should be about 200 ml of liquid. Add the evaporated milk, milk, cornflour and mustard to the gravy liquid.

Bring to boil on top of stove and stir. Pour over chops and dust with paprika.

1.5 kg boned loin of pork, skinned, and rolled

2 garlic cloves, slivered

sage

1 teaspoon black peppercorns, coarsely crushed

rind and juice of one lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

225 ml white wine

Preheat oven to 190°C or 375°F. Trim the pork of any excess fat. Using a sharp knife, make a number of incisions into the meat and insert the garlic slithers and a little sage.

Mix the peppercorns, lemon rind and juice, salt and olive oil together and rub over the pork.

Put the pork on a rack in a roasting tin and roast for about 2 hours. Juices should run clear if meat is skewered. If not, place back in oven for another 10 or 15 minutes and test again.

Lift the meat out of the dish, wrap in foil to keep warm and set aside on a cutting board.

Pour away the fat from the roasting dish and put in the wine. Put the tin over the heat of the stove and bring the wine to the boil, stirring and scraping. Boil rapidly to reduce the gravy. Adjust the seasoning and serve.

225 g prunes, soaked for 3 hours in cold water and drained

2 medium-sized cooking apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped

2 teaspoons brown sugar

finely grated rind of one lemon

2.5 kg boned loin of pork

50 g butter

2 tablespoons white wine

225 ml soured cream

Put the prunes into a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to boil over a moderate heat. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until prunes are tender.

Drain the prunes and when cold enough to handle, remove stones and chop the flesh. Mix with the apples, sugar and lemon rind.

Lay the pork fat-side down, on the work surface. Cover the meat to within 1 inch of the short ends, with the prune and apple stuffing. Roll it tightly. Tie the rolls at 1/2 inch intervals with trussing string.

Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F.

Melt the butter in a roasting tin over a moderate heat. Add the pork roll and brown well on all sides.

Remove from stove. Roast the meat for about 3.5 hours in the oven, or until cooked. Test by piercing meat to see if juices run clear. If not, place back in the oven for 10-15 minutes more and test again.

When cooked, remove from oven and wrap in foil to keep hot.

Pour off the fat from the baking dish. Put the tin over a moderate heat and add the wine. Scrape the bottom of the tin and stir well. Add the cream and cook gently until the sauce is hot and smooth.

Remove foil from pork, cut into large slices and serve with the hot sauce and vegetables of your choice.

More pork recipes to follow....Check back soon.

6 pork sausages

1 brown onion, sliced

1 carrot, grated

1 zucchini, grated

1 cup tasty cheese

1/2 cup plain flour

1 1/2 cups milk

3 eggs

2 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease a 4 cm deep, 17.5 cm X 24.5 cm baking dish.

Heat oil in frying pan and add the onions. Fry over a medium heat. As they start to change colour remove, and add sausages. Cook for 5-7 minutes until cooked. Set aside and slice when cooled.

Arrange sausage slices, carrot, zucchini, onions and cheese in the baking dish.

Whisk flour, eggs and milk together. Add seasoning to taste. Pour over sausages.

Bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until set. Stand for 5 minutes before serving.