Antony's Pork Shoulder with Stout, Pepper and Brown Sugar with Colcannon
Ingredients
- 1 /2 pork shoulder joint, boneless, about 1kg
- 3 anchovies, from a can, cut in half lengthways
- 3 pitted prunes, halved
- 2 tbsp oil
- 85 g3 oz unsalted butter
- 3 onions, finely sliced
- 1 /2 tbsp chopped sage
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 500 ml17½ fl oz dark Irish stout
- 450 ml15¾ fl oz chicken stock
For the marinade:
- 1 tbsp ground black peppercorns, crushed
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp wine vinegar
For the Colcannon:
- 900 g31¾ oz potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 /2 Savoy Cabbage, finely shredded
- A splash of milk
- 1 tsp butter
- A bunch of spring onions, finely chopped
Method: How to make Pork shoulder with stout, pepper and brown sugar with colcannon
For the marinade, combine the peppercorns, salt, herbs, garlic and sugar in a food processor, then gradually add the oil and vinegar.
Make six incisions in the piece of pork and carefully press half a prune and half an anchovy fillet into each slit. Rub the meat with the marinade and leave to marinate in a cool place for at least three hours or ideally overnight.
Preheat the oven to 150C/Gas 2.
Wipe off the marinade and brown the pork in half the oil and half the butter in a casserole, until brown on all sides. Remove the pork and set aside.
Add the remaining butter and oil to the pan and heat gently. Once foaming, add the onions and chopped sage.
Allow to cook over a gentle heat until the onion is soft and golden brown. This will take about 20 minutes. Add the flour and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
Place the pork back on top of the onion slices in the casserole.
Add the marinade, stout and chicken stock to the pan, bring to the boil and cover the casserole.
Cook in the oven for about four and a half hours until the meat is very tender.
Slice the meat into large chunks and keep warm.
Pour all the pan juices into a food processor and blend until smooth. If the liquid is too thin, boil vigorously to reduce. Pour over the meat.
To make the Colcannon, place the potatoes in a pan, cover with water and boil for about 15 minutes until soft. During the last 8-10 minutes, add the cabbage.
Drain and mash with a splash of milk and a knob of butter and stir the spring onions through it.
Serve the colcannon alongside the pork.
