Altogrado Garnacha 2004

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Tender pork rolled in rosemary sprigs and wrapped in bacon is delicious when served drizzled with a dark cherry sauce.

Serves 4

Total time: 30–40 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients

2 x 300g pork tenderloins
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
24 thin slices flat pancetta or streaky bacon
150ml red wine
150ml cranberry juice drink
6 tbsp morello cherry conserve
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp cornflour

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas 4. Slice each pork tenderloin in half to make 4 pieces. Brush with a little oil and season well. Roll each one in the chopped rosemary.
2. Arrange 6 slices of pancetta or bacon on a board so they overlap slightly. Place a piece of pork on top and wrap in the pancetta, pressing to seal. Repeat with the remaining pancetta and pork.
3. For the sauce, place the wine, cranberry juice drink, conserve and 150ml water in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and simmer for a further minute. Meanwhile, mix the cornflour with a little water to make a paste. Add to the sauce and cook for 1 minute, or until thickened, stirring constantly. Set aside.
4. Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Add the remaining oil and fry the pork tenderloins for 3–4 minutes, or until golden, turning occasionally. Transfer to a baking shet and bake for 5 minutes, or until the pork is cooked through.
5. Gently reheat the sauce while you leave the pork to rest for 2–3 minutes. Slice and drizzle with the cherry sauce to serve.

Top tip

Flat pancetta is available from Italian delis. If it is unavailable, substitute streaky bacon or Parma ham.

Perfect partners

Finca Muñoz Reserva de la Familia 2005 - A traditional oak-aged Spanish style wine with a delightful modern fruitiness to match the fruit in this dish.

Herby Pork with Warm Fig Salsa

Crisp roast pork coated in a spicy rub and served with a warm, fruity salsa.

Serves 6

Total time: 3–3½hours Cooking time: 2¾–3¼ hours

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
1 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed
½–1 tsp dried chilli flakes, to taste
2–2.5kg pork loin, boned and tied
1 heaped tbsp flour
200ml chicken stock
200g dried figs, roughly chopped
120ml dry white wine
1 heaped tbsp finely chopped parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/Gas 6. Combine the garlic, oil, salt, some freshly ground black pepper, oregano, rosemary, fennel seeds and chilli flakes in a bowl. Put the pork loin in a large roasting tin and rub all over with the herb mix.
2. Place the pork in the centre of the oven and cook for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 170ºC/Gas 3. Roast for a further 2–2½ hours, or until the skin is crisp and the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a metal skewer. Remove the pork from the tin and set it aside to rest while you make the salsa.
3. Drain the roasting tin of excess fat and place it on the hob over low heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes, until golden brown. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring, until the sauce thickens. Strain and wipe the pan clean with kitchen paper.
4. Return the sauce to the roasting tin. Add the figs and wine. Increase the heat and boil to reduce until quite thick and syrupy, stirring often. Season well and stir in the parsley. Carve the pork into thick slices and serve with a little fig salsa on the side.

Top tip

If you buy your meat from a butcher, ask him to prepare the pork loin for you.

Serving suggestion

Serve this with green beans and couscous or boiled potatoes.

Perfect partner

Opi Malbec 2008 - Bring a bit of Argentinian sunshine to the table. The figs in this recipe are fabulous with this fruity, spicy Malbec.

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Skewers of red onion wedges, pepper chunks, cherry tomatoes and pork sausage pieces with a tasty honey-mustard glaze are ideal for a family barbecue.

Makes 12

Total time: 45 mins, plus soaking
Cooking time: 20–25 mins

2 tbsp runny honey
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
8 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for frying
12 thin pork sausages
1 red onion, cut into small wedges
3 peppers (yellow, green and red), deseeded and cut into chunks
12 cherry tomatoes

1. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes before use to prevent them from burning on the barbecue. Preheat the barbecue until hot.
2. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Combine the honey, mustard and oil in a small bowl and season well.
3. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the sausages for 10–12 minutes, or until browned all over. Remove from the pan, slice in half and thread onto the skewers, alternating with the onion wedges, pepper chunks and cherry tomatoes and allowing 2 sausage pieces per skewer.
4. Brush the kebabs with the marinade and barbecue for 8–10 minutes, turning halfway through cooking, or until the sausages are cooked through and the vegetables are slightly charred. Serve at once.

Serving suggestion

Warm pitta breads on the barbecue and open out to form pockets. Add salad leaves and a mini kebab to each one and squeeze over a little lemon juice.

Perfect partner

Rocky’s Shiraz Rosé 2008 - This lively rosé is fruit-packed but rich enough to complement the intense flavours of these kebabs.

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Grill chilli-spiced pork chops and serve with crunchy coleslaw for a quick and easy family supper. Prepare and chill the coleslaw in advance.

Serves 4

Total time: 25 mins, plus chilling
Cooking time: 15 mins

½ small red cabbage, shredded
1 red-skinned apple, coarsely grated
½ small red onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp mild chilli powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp caster sugar
4 large pork chops

1. First, make the coleslaw: combine the cabbage, apple, onion and mayonnaise in a bowl. Season and chill for an hour in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the grill to hot. Mix together the chilli powder, oil, sugar and salt to taste and rub into both sides of the pork chops.
3. Grill the pork chops for 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through, then serve with the coleslaw.

Variation

Grate a carrot and stir into the coleslaw mix along with 2 tbsp sultanas.

Serving suggestion

To make this dish more substantial, serve jacket potatoes as an accompaniment.

Perfect partner

Collezione di Paolo Sangiovese 2008 - This wine is a knockout with these well-seasoned pork chops.

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These little balls of minced pork with Thai-style flavourings are perfect served with a vegetable stir-fry. Or you can add a few to bowls of hot and sour soup, too, and serve garnished with coriander sprigs.

Makes about 60

Total time: 45 mins
Cooking time: 20–30 mins

Ingredients

150g fresh coriander, chopped (including stalks)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bunch spring onions, chopped
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
½ tsp finely ground black pepper
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2½ tbsp fish sauce
2 eggs
500g minced pork
flour, for dusting
groundnut oil, for frying
2 tbsp sugar
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
1 lemon grass stalk, very thinly sliced
2½ tbsp rice vinegar

1. Put the coriander, garlic, spring onions, lemon zest, black pepper, nutmeg, fish sauce and eggs in a food processor. Process until liquidized, then add the pork. Process in short bursts until more finely minced – the mixture will be quite loose.
2. Dust your hands with flour, then shape the pork mixture into walnut-sized balls. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. When hot, add the pork balls and cook until browned and cooked through; do this in batches, adding more oil as necessary. Drain on kitchen paper.
3. Meanwhile, make the sauce: in a small bowl, mix together the sugar, chilli flakes and lemon grass. Add 4 tbsp boiling water, stir until the sugar dissolves, then add the vinegar. Serve the pork balls piping hot, with little bowls of dipping sauce.

Top tip

The cooked pork balls can be frozen for up to a month. To reheat, arrange the frozen balls on a baking sheet, cover with foil and bake at 200ºC/Gas 6 for 25 minutes, or until piping hot.

Perfect partners

Il Tempio Grillo 2008 - This Sicilian white will add zip to the zingy flavours of the pork balls.

Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs

Perk up pork with a piquant sweet and sour sauce. Perfect for snacking, or serve with drinks as pre-dinner nibbles!

Serves 6

Total time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 50 mins

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
½ tsp English mustard powder
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp dried rosemary
3 tbsp tomato purée
juice of 1 small orange
1 tbsp runny honey
1½ tbsp dry sherry
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tbsp apricot jam
1kg pork spare ribs

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/Gas 5. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add all the remaining ingredients except for the ribs and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute.
2. Arrange the ribs in a large roasting tin (in which they will fit tightly in a single layer). Pour over the sauce and toss to coat.
3. Cover the tin with foil and bake for 45 minutes, or until the ribs are cooked through, basting several times and turning over once; remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of the cooking time. Serve hot.

Serving suggestion

Serve with crunchy potato wedges. To make them, cut peeled potatoes into wedges. Cook in boiling salted water for 3–5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a shallow roasting tin. Toss in olive oil and season well. Bake at 200ºC/Gas 6 for 20 minutes, or until crisp and golden.

Perfect partner

Bodegas Primicia Reserva 2004 - This stylish Rioja is a winner with the multi-layered flavours of these sweet and sour ribs.