Perfect for any celebratory meal over the Christmas period, pork is a real crowd-pleaser with crisp crackling and succulent meat. Pork is a great flavour-carrier so using this joint is the ideal opportunity to try some new and alternative flavours to spice up your festive feast.
SERVES 6
- Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
- 1 red chilli, chopped
- Seeds from 10 cardamom pods
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 5cm cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
- 2 star anise
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 2kg boned pork loin, rind scored by your butcher
- Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Put the lemon zest in a mortar with the chilli, cardamom, garlic, cinnamon, star anise, salt and pepper. Grind with the pestle to a paste.
- Remove the pork rind and fat in one piece from the top of the meat. Score a diamond pattern on the top surface of the meat, then rub in the spice mixture.
- Replace the piece of rind and fat, then tie all the way along the joint with a long piece of kitchen string at 2.5cm intervals. Place the pork in a roasting tin and roast for 1½ hours.
- Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 15 mins, then remove the string and carve the pork into slices. Serve, giving everyone a piece of the crisp crackling.
Scandinavian Christmas by Trine Hahnemann, published by Quadrille Publishing Limited