pork – My Whisk and I

Porky Belly Cubes

May 26, 2024May 21, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 kg pork belly, skin removed and cut into 5cm cubes
2 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml red chilli flakes
60ml soy sauce
60ml apple cider vinegar
30ml brown sugar
15ml sesame oil
1,2ml salt
15ml sesame seeds
15ml chives, finely chopped

Add the garlic, chilli flakes, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add the pork belly cubes, mix to coat and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for an hour.
Preheat your oven to 190℃ and line an oven tray with baking paper.
Arrange the cubed meat on the prepared tray, spacing the meat evenly.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Turn each of the cubes over and place it back in the oven for another 30 minutes – do take cake not to burn the meat – place a sheet of aluminium foil over the baking tray if it is brown enough.
Remove the pork from the oven and sprinkle over the sesame seeds and chives.

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Sticky Pork Chops

May 12, 2024April 30, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

2 cloves of garlic, minced
60ml tomato sauce
45ml soy sauce
30ml sunflower oil
60ml sugar
10ml Worcestershire sauce
15ml apple cider vinegar
6 – 8 thick pork chops

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a roasting tin with baking paper.
Add the garlic, tomato sauce, soy, sunflower oil, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar to a small saucepan and place over a medium heat. Stir the sauce until the sugar has dissolved.
Turn the heat up and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer until reduced to a very thick sauce, stirring occasionally. (This should take 10 minutes or so)
Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside.
Lay the chops in the prepared roasting tin and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
Brush the chops with a generous amount of the sauce and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Flip the chops and brush with the remaining sauce.
Return the roasting tin to the oven and bake for a further 15 minutes.
Serve immediately.

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Pork Fillet (Tenderloin) in Honey

December 5, 2023December 3, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

5ml salt
10ml smoked paprika
a few grindings of black pepper
2 pork fillets/tenderloin
30ml butter
15ml vegetable oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
45ml apple cider vinegar
25ml soy sauce
125ml honey

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Add the salt, paprika and black pepper to a small bowl and mix together.
Lay the fillets on a board and sprinkle the mix over, rubbing all over.
Add the butter and vegetable oil to a heavy, oven-proof pan, place over high heat and wait for it to heat up.
Add the fillets and sear until golden.
Turn off the heat, add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add the vinegar, soy and honey to the pan and stir to mix.
Turn the fillets over and place the pan in the oven. Bake for 18 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the fillets to a plate. Cover tightly with aluminium foil and set aside.
Place the pan back on a medium-heat and simmer the sauce for 3 minutes or so, until syrupy.
Turn off the heat and place the fillets in the sauce, turning to cover the meat completely.
Slice the pork and serve with mashed potato and extra sauce.

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Apple-Pork

March 6, 2023March 5, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This dish may look dull in all its beige-browny colours but it certainly delivers on flavour, easy of preparation and of course, it is made in one saucepan!

6 pork chops
45ml oil
45ml butter
3 onions, sliced
30ml sugar
2 cloves of garlic, minced
45ml honey
15ml lemon juice
200ml chicken stock
1 x 380g can of pie apples

Set a heavy bottom pan on medium-high heat, add some vegetable oil to it and brown the chops. Remove from the saucepan and keep aside.
Add the oil and butter to the saucepan and turn the heat to medium.
Add the onions and sugar and stir-fry for at least 15 minutes until soft and starting to brown.
Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
Now add the honey, lemon juice and chicken stock. Stir to mix for one minute or so.
Add the apples and spread it out evenly before arranging the pork chops on top.
Cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid and spoon the apples and sauce over the chops.
Cook for a further 10 minutes.
Serve the pork with a crispy coleslaw salad.

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Pork Rib-Eye Steaks with Grape Sauce

October 19, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

8 pork rib-eye steaks
a small handful of sage leaves, chopped
8-10 small onions, peeled and halved
50g butter
500g seedless grapes, half kept whole and the other half sliced in two
125ml balsamic vinegar
60ml brown sugar

Season the pork steaks with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the chopped sage and press the herbs onto the meat.
Place a saucepan on medium-high heat, add a splash of vegetable oil and brown the meat, about 4 minutes per side.
Take the steaks from the pan and keep on the side.
Add the butter to the pan and wait for it to melt.
Now add the onions, cut side down and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the grapes, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar and simmer for 2 minutes.
Place the pork steaks on top of the grapes and onions and place a lid on the saucepan.
Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
Serve warm with mashed potato and a fresh salad.

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Candied Pork Rashers

October 14, 2022October 14, 2022by Karen Claassen1 Comment

8 boneless, pork rashers
125ml brown sugar
2,5ml smoked paprika
7,5ml dried chilli flakes

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with aluminium foil. Stand a metal cooling rack in the baking sheet.
Spread the rashers on the metal rack in the baking sheet and salt them on both sides. Set aside.
Mix together the brown sugar, paprika and chilli flakes and spread it evenly onto each rasher.
Bake in the oven for 8 minutes, remove and flip the rashers.
Spread this side with the rest of the sugar mixture and immediately place it back in the oven for another 8 minutes.
Flip the rashers once more and bake for another 5 minutes per side, until beautifully browned and crisp.
Serve warm.

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Honey Glazed Pork Chops

August 22, 2022August 14, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

6 pork chops
22,5ml soy sauce
30ml oyster sauce
5ml ground ginger
30ml honey
25ml five-spice powder
45ml wine (or water or stock)

Add all the ingredients, except the pork chops, to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Place the chops in a shallow baking dish and pour the mixture over.
Leave to marinate for one hour, turning the chops once.

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Place a cast-iron pan (or any other oven-friendly pan) on high heat, and pour in some vegetable oil.
Scrape most of the marinade off the meat and fry for 2 minutes before turning and frying another 2 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium and pour in the marinade sauce.
Stir and cook for about 3-4 minutes and then place the pan in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
Serve the chops with fragrant rice or couscous.

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Pork Chops with Thai Peanut Sauce

March 18, 2022March 18, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

80ml flour
5ml salt
6 pork chops
62ml chicken stock
125ml coconut milk
30ml peanut butter
15ml honey
5ml ground ginger
2,5ml salt
80ml peanuts

Place a heavy based frying pan on medium-high heat and add some vegetable oil to it.
Mix the flour and salt together in a shallow dish.
Dredge the chops in the flour and fry 4 minutes per side. Keep warm.
Add the stock, coconut milk, peanut butter, honey, ginger and salt to a small saucepan and place on medium heat.
Whisk the ingredients together until the peanut butter has melted and the sauce comes together.
Allow the sauce to simmer on a low heat for 3-4 minutes.
Spoon the sauce on the pork chops and sprinkle some peanuts on top.
Bon Appetit!

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Pork Chops with Crushed Olive Dressing

November 23, 2021November 23, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

6-8 pork chops
45ml + 30ml olive oil
10ml ground turmeric
10ml salt
125ml apple cider vinegar
375ml olives, pitted and crushed
3 cloves garlic, chopped
250ml soft herbs (sage, basil, parsley, chives) chopped
30ml water

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Place the pork chops on an oven tray and drizzle the front and back with 45ml olive oil.
Sprinkle the turmeric and salt on the chops and give it a rub with your hands to spread evenly.
Put a cast iron pan on high heat and brown the chops on both sides. Place them back on the oven tray.
Mix the 30ml olive oil, vinegar, crushed olives, garlic, chopped herbs and water together and spoon over the meat.
Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
Serve the chops warm or at room temperature.

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Balsamic Apple Pork Sausages

May 13, 2021May 8, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

An easy, one-pan dish with delicious caramelised apple and onions, served on buttery mashed potato.

8 pork bangers
62ml balsamic vinegar
62ml honey
45ml olive oil
15ml thyme, chopped
3 large onions
3 Granny Smith apples

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Peel and quarter the onions.
Peel, core and quarter the apples. Slice each quarter into half.
Add the sausages, balsamic vinegar, honey, oil, thyme, onion and apple slices to an oven dish and toss together to coat the onion, apple and sausages.
Place the roasting dish into the oven and roast for 30 minutes, shaking the dish every 10 minutes or so , so that the sausages brown evenly.
Remove from the oven and serve on buttery mashed potato.