Pork is a lovely meat – very tasty and succulent. It ranges from extremely fatty (the delicious belly) through to quite lean (the fillet, parts of the loin, the leg and shoulder). But, no matter how fatty it may seem, it is incredibly easy to overcook pork so that it becomes quite dry. The legs and shoulders are great in stews and braised dishes, and the loin makes an excellent roast. Autumn is possibly the best time to enjoy pork, especially the flavoursome free-range variety, which should be in peak condition following the summer.

 

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For this dish the pork is cooked en papillote (“in parchment” in French), which is a way of oven-steaming food. Wrapped in parcels, the succulent meat steams as it bakes.

 

3 tablespoons demerara or brown sugar 1 tablespoon flaky or coarse salt (or a little less if using fine salt) 1½ tablespoons five-spice powder 1-2 teaspoons chilli flakes (to taste) 2kg boneless pork loin or thick part of the belly About 300g dried egg noodles (or any other noodle) 500g broccolini (or use broccoli florets) 1 small bunch coriander 2 spring onions

 

Preheat oven to 180°C. Lay a large sheet of foil on the bench and sit a slightly smaller piece of baking paper on top – these will be used to wrap the pork.

 

Combine sugar, salt, five-spice and chilli and sprinkle a little on the paper. Sit pork on top, skin side up, and sprinkle over remaining five-spice mixture. Rub over thoroughly then fold paper over pork. Wrap up tightly with the foil; if it seems a little loose, wrap another sheet of foil around. Place on a roasting tray and bake 2 hours.

 

Take from oven and cool for 30 minutes then cut foil open and remove loin. Place this in another roasting dish lined with baking paper. Using a sharp knife, score the skin in parallel lines quite close to each other. Pour over the cooking juices from the first pan and roast for another 20-30 minutes at 190°C until the skin begins to bubble – it won’t become crispy though.

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Pork Satay with Rice, Peanuts and Cucumber

Pork satay always reminds me of Bali, where the smells of the satay stands at the markets or roadside stalls are so evocative.

 

400g pork fillet (or pork chop meat), excess fat removed, cut into 24 strips 2 teaspoons lime or lemon juice 1 teaspoon brown sugar 2 shallots, peeled and diced ½ finger fresh ginger, finely grated ¼ teaspoon chilli powder 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 3 tablespoons soy sauce 200g blanched peanuts 200ml coconut milk ½ red chilli, finely chopped ¼ teaspoon ground cumin 1⁄3 cup jasmine or basmati rice ½ telegraph cucumber 12 bamboo skewers, soaked for a few hours in water (or use metal ones) 1 handful coriander, leaves picked from stems 2 spring onions, sliced

 

Mix pork with lime juice and sugar in a medium bowl. In another bowl combine shallots, ginger, chilli powder, sesame oil, sesame seeds, half the garlic and half the soy sauce. Add to pork and mix thoroughly. Cover and leave to marinate for 2 hours or up to 24 hours in the fridge.

 

Turn oven to 160°C. Spread peanuts on a baking tray and bake until golden, stirring occasionally. Take care not to overcook them as they become bitter. Leave to cool then coarsely grind or chop three-quarters of them (save the whole nuts for garnish).

 

Bring coconut milk, remaining garlic and soy sauce, the chopped chilli and cumin to the boil. Stir in chopped peanuts, bring back to a simmer and cook 1 minute. Take off heat and taste for seasoning.

 

Cook the rice until done and leave to sit at room temperature.

 

Peel cucumber and score it lengthways with a fork, then slice into 5mm slices and set aside.

 

Thread 2 pieces of pork on to each skewer and brush with a little vegetable oil. Heat up the barbecue, a skillet or heavy pan and cook the satays until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes each side. Alternatively, lay them on a lined baking tray and bake at 190°C for 6-8 minutes.

 

To serve, place the rice (which is always served at room temperature) and cucumber slices on a plate and position the satays on top. Spoon the sauce over and scatter the reserved whole peanuts and the coriander and spring onions over to garnish. Serves 4-6 as a starter

 

What to drink A soft, savoury pinot noir is the perfect foil for the five-spice pork – Ara’s Pathway Marlborough Pinot Noir 2008 (pictured; $15) is a great-value match. With the satay skewers, you can’t go past a glass of Kemblefield Gewürztraminer 2008 ($19). Opt for a rich, ripe viognier with the spicy stew to round out those exotic spices; Gladstone Estate’s Wairarapa Viognier 2007 ($40) will do nicely. And a creamy, buttery chardonnay such as Selaks The Favourite 2007 ($22) will add some lip-smacking character to the milk-baked pork. Yvonne Marie Lorkin

 

This dish takes its inspiration from South-east Asia. It’s hearty, spicy, really tasty and dead easy to make. I’ve added frozen peas and potatoes because they work so well with it and goji berries because they help combat the rich coconut and pork.

 

4 onions, peeled and thickly sliced 2 red chillies (use more or less to taste), each cut into 4 2 fingers of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced 2 tablespoons coriander seeds 1 tablespoon fennel seeds 1 tablespoon ground turmeric 1½ teaspoons fine salt 100ml cider vinegar or white vinegar 100ml water 400ml can coconut milk (light is fine) 3 tablespoons cooking oil 10 cloves garlic, peeled and halved 1 tablespoon cumin seeds 2kg large-diced pork (shoulder or leg meat) 1 cup desiccated coconut 1kg small potatoes 400g frozen peas 3 tablespoons dried goji berries (or use dried cranberries or sultanas or leave out)

 

Place 2 of the onions in a blender with the chillies, ginger, coriander and fennel seeds, turmeric, salt, vinegar, water and coconut milk and process to a coarse paste.

 

Heat oil in a large pot and add remaining 2 onions, the garlic and cumin seeds. Fry until onions are coloured, stirring often.

 

Add pork and coconut and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chilli purée, cover mixture with a sheet of baking paper cut to the same diameter as the pot (a cartouche) and bring to the boil.

 

Place a tight-fitting lid on the pot and either continue to cook on a low heat on the stove or place in an oven preheated to 170°C for 2 hours. Taste for seasoning and try a piece of pork – it should be beginning to tenderise. Give it a good stir and cook another 20 minutes.

 

Boil potatoes in plenty of lightly salted water until just tender then add peas and boil another minute. Drain well and stir into stew along with goji berries.

 

To serve, spoon stew into bowls and accompany with wilted spinach, broccoli, cauliflower or almost any vegetable. This stew freezes and reheats well. Serves 8-12

 

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The Italians gave us this dish, although my spicing isn’t really authentic.

 

2kg pork loin or leg of pork off the bone, skin scored 2 teaspoons flaky salt 2 litres low-fat milk 6 bay leaves 6 star anise (or 1 tablespoon fennel seeds) A generous handful of thyme on the stalk 2 stalks rosemary, snapped in half Small handful of sage leaves 1 cinnamon stick 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper 250g instant polenta 60g freshly grated parmesan

 

Preheat oven to 170°C. Line a large deep-sided roasting dish or ovenproof casserole with baking paper and sit pork on top, skin side up. (The dish needs to comfortably hold the meat so it will be swimming in the milk.) Sprinkle with salt.

 

Place milk and the next 7 ingredients in a saucepan and bring almost to the boil – watch it doesn’t boil over. Pour over pork then sit a sheet of paper on top to cover the skin. Seal dish tightly with foil or a lid and bake for 2 hours. Remove lid, foil and paper from pork and bake another 45 minutes.

 

Using a pair of tongs and a large fork, carefully remove pork from milk and place in a clean roasting dish. Strain milk through a sieve into a jug and measure out 1 litre. Pour remaining milk back in with pork and place in the turned-off oven to keep warm.

 

Place milk in a pot and bring to a simmer then slowly add polenta, mixing gently and continuously with a whisk or fork. Replace the whisk or fork with a spoon and cook over medium-low heat until the mixture resembles porridge. It will bubble up like a Rotorua mud pool so watch you don’t burn yourself. Keep cooking for another minute, stirring constantly, then turn off heat and put a lid on to keep warm. Stand 5 minutes then stir in parmesan and check seasoning.

 

To serve, carve the pork as you would a regular roast joint. Serve with the polenta and some steamed greens. Serves 6-8

 

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These make a great snack or adult party food. They’re also lovely served alongside the Sunday roast (without the sour cream).

 

2 golden kumara, skins scrubbed (although any kumara will do)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1½ tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
16 rashers smoked streaky bacon
1 handful flat-leaf parsley, coarsely shredded
Sour cream to serve

 

Dressing:
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (hot or sweet)
1½ tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil

 

Turn oven to 190°C. Cut kumara in half crossways then each half into quarters lengthways to make 16 wedges. Place in a pot of cold water with 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to the boil and simmer until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Drain into a colander then place on a tray to cool for 10 minutes. Mix garlic with oil and brush over kumara while it is still warm.

 

Wrap each kumara wedge tightly in a rasher of bacon. Place in a lined roasting dish and roast until bacon has crisped up and kumara is cooked.

 

To make dressing, combine lemon juice and paprika then mix in oil.

 

To serve, place kumara on a warmed platter, scatter parsley over and drizzle with dressing. Serve sour cream to the side for people to help themselves. Serves 4-6

 

What to drink A glass of Kemblefield Gewürztraminer 2008 ($19) will complement the sweet, bacony kumara just nicely. Yvonne Marie Lorkin