Pork is one of the leanest of all meats. Sometimes
people wrongly assume that all pork is high in fat and thus incompatible with
healthy eating. However, it is a fact that lean pork is lower in fat than beef
or lamb and is not much fattier than skinless chicken – a 100 g serving of lean
roast leg of pork contains 7 per cent fat. Pork is an excellent source of B
vitamins, especially vitamin B 12. It is also a good source of zinc and it
contains iron.
Pork is a very versatile meat and the leg, whole or
deboned, is suitable for either oven- or pot-roasted. Leg of pork generally has
a bland taste, which can be enhanced by various ingredients added during
cooking, of which beer is one of it. Pork which is roasted in beer, and served
with applesauce makes a mouth-watering dinner dish.
Beer
Roasted Leg of Pork
Ingredients
2 kg pork leg
25 ml (1 Tbsp.) olive oil
38 ml (2 Tbsp.) sunflower oil
1 onion stuck with 2 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
5 ml freshly ground black pepper
2 ml salt
7 ml thyme
250 ml (1 cup) flat beer
6 carrots cut into 5 cm lengths
12 small white onions, peeled
2 small turnips, quartered
Preparation
1. Rub the pork leg with olive oil. Heat the sunflower
oil in a heavy-based saucepan (with lid and oven-proof) large enough to hold
the roast. When hot, sear all sides of the roast.
2. When well- coloured, add the onion, bay leaf,
pepper, salt, thyme and the beer. Bring to the boil and simmer covered on top
of the stove or in a 150⁰C oven for 2 hours.
3. Test the meat, and if it is becoming tender, add
the remaining vegetables. Cook for about 1 hour more, until the vegetables are
tender. Remove meat to a carving board and keep it warm.
4. Skim off the fat from the sauce and taste for
seasoning. Carve meat into thin slices and serve.
Here
is a bonus – serve the pork with an apple sauce
Ingredients
2 large cooking apples
A knob of butter
Castor sugar to sweeten
Preparation
1. Wash the apples and cut them into small pieces without
removing the skin or core.
2. Cook it in just enough water to prevent it from
sticking to the pan.
3. Sieve the apple and sweeten it with the castor
sugar.
4. Stir in the butter and serve the applesauce in a
small sauceboat.
Enjoy
with rice, baked potatoes, and a tossed salad. Do not forget the wine!
HendrikDB
