Pork Casserole with Bramley Apples
Number of Servings
4
Preparation Time
15 minutes
Cooking Time
2 hours
The perfect meal for an autumnal day that is deeply comforting, filled with flavour that intensifies as it cooks for longer and longer. Serve up alongside a crisp cider and a buttered hunk of bread or cheese topped crusty roll.
Ingredients
- 1kg Saddleback diced pork
- 3 carrots cut into chunks
- 2 leeks
- 2 onions sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 2 large Bramley apples cut into chunks
- 1 litre chicken broth
- 100g plain flour
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon juniper berries
- 2 bay leaves
- A sprig of thyme
- 4 tablespoons oil
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160c.
- Place the salt, pepper and juniper berries into a mortar and pestle and crush them until fine, then mix with the flour in a large bowl.
- Place a medium casserole dish over a moderate heat and add half of the oil.
- When hot add the carrot, onion and leek and fry until the vegetables start to caramelise.
- Add the garlic and continue to cook for a further two minutes.
- Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining oil and then brown off the pork in batches placing each batch in the seasoned flour as you go.
- Shake off any excess flour and return the pork and the vegetables to the casserole and cover with the chicken stock.
- Add the bay leaves and thyme and give it a good stir.
- Bring to a simmer then put the lid on top and place in the oven for 1 and 1⁄2 hours.
- Remove from the oven and stir in the Bramley apples, leave the lid off and return to the oven for a further 1⁄2 hours.
