Slow Braised Pork with Chorizo, Thyme & Black Olives
As a passionate supporter of British and artisan food producers, I am delighted to be collaborating this week with Caprera, a fantastic new online artisan food marketplace. Their website already has over 200 products by 30 different artisan food producers, creating small batches of high-end products. There are plans to increase the number of suppliers and products as the site nears its official launch at the the end of the year and it already features an online food magazine with great seasonal recipes.
It is obvious that Caprera care deeply, not only about the quality of food they supply, but also about each producer and their story. Their aim is to let people reconnect with nature, remember their roots and the origins of food by enhancing interactions between artisan food lovers and small independent producers.“This could be a game changer for food lovers everywhere. Broadening access to craft foods made by artisan producers across the country means we don’t have to settle for second best anymore.” says Jeremy Hibbert-Garibaldi, Caprera's Co-Founder.
Caprera sent me three of their products to try - Yare Valley Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil, The Dorset Charcuterie Company's Free Range Purbeck Chorizo and some Horsham Gingerbread. Yare Valley Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil is grown, harvested, pressed and bottled on Tim Mack's family farm in Norfolk. Rapeseed oil is incredibly versatile, I use it for everything from making dressings, to baking, roasting and frying. Unlike extra virgin olive oil it has a brilliantly high smoke point, which means that it can handle very high temperatures, even in its extra virgin state. The Dorset Charcuterie Company uses free range pork from small farms within the Purbecks to make their wonderful chorizo. They hang, butcher, season, cure, dry, smoke and mature all their own products from start to finish, coupling age old traditional methods with state of the art modern techniques in their purpose-built, on-farm charcuterie and it shows in the taste. I always have chorizo in the fridge and after tasting its wonderful mildly spicy smoky flavour, I will definitely be placing a regular order.
The Horsham Gingerbread was absolutely delicious, a lovely treat with a cup of tea while I planned a recipe to make the most of the chorizo and rapeseed oil. I started to think that soon we will all become consumed with shopping, decorating, wrapping and cooking on the lead up to the festive period. Entertaining friends and family and the occasional unexpected guest can feel pressurising, so having a repertoire of easy to prepare dishes will certainly help to reduce any stress. This recipe is a classic example of how a few simple good quality ingredients will transform a simple dish into one worthy of entertaining. Shoulder of pork slow braised in a rich, smokey tomato sauce infused with thyme with spicy chorizo and black olives, this dish is quick to prepare and bubbles away while you wrap any last minute gifts. Its a real crowd pleaser, enjoy!
*this post is sponsored by Caprera
Slow Braised Pork with Chorizo, Thyme & Black Olives
Adapted from a recipe by Jose Pizarro
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins
Total time: 1 hour 50 mins
Serves: 6
Ingredients
200g chorizo sausage - I used The Dorset Charcuterie Company's Free Range Purbeck Chorizo
4 tablespoons of rapeseed oil - I used Yare Valley British Rapeseed Oil
1 kilo of lean pork shoulder, cut into large cubes
150ml of full bodied red wine
2 large shallots, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
2 tablespoons tomato puree
400g can chopped tomatoes
500ml fresh chicken stock
4 springs of thyme, leaves only
2 tablespoons of fresh oregano, chopped
4 bay leaves
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
salt & pepper
2 teaspoons of caster sugar
100g pitted black olives
Instructions
Heat 2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil in a large frying pan.
Skin and slice the chorizo, add to the heated frying pan and fry on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the chorizo is lightly browned.
Using a slotted spoon, put the chorizo into a large, flameproof casserole pan, reserving as much of the oil as possible in the frying pan.
Add another tablespoon oil to the frying pan if necessary and brown the pork in batches before adding to the casserole pan.
Pour the wine into the frying pan and allow to come to a simmer, scraping down any of the caramelised juices on the bottom of the pan to release the flavour and pour into the casserole pan.
Turn down the heat, add the remaining oil chopped shallots to the frying pan and fry gently for 10 minutes or until soft, adding a little more oil if necessary. Add the chopped garlic to the onions and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the paprika and then add the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, stock and herbs, pour over the chorizo and pork and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Bring the casserole pan to a brisk simmer, turn the heat right down and cover. Cook for 1 hour, stirring now and then.
In a small pan, boil the vinegar and sugar until it is reduced to about a teaspoon. Stir it into the casserole with the olives.
Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the pork is tender.
Serve with rice, roast or creamy mashed potatoes.