Pic of Smoked cheddar topped pork

Smoked cheddar topped pork

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Meat mains

Smoked cheddar topped pork

Main Serves 2 40 min
Braising veg is a great way to hold in flavour, and works particularly well with carrots. If you don't have three saucepans, use a deep frying pan for the carrots – but keep a good eye on the liquid. It will evaporate faster, and you may need to add a little more water as they cook. If any element of this dish is ready before the others (we all chop and cook at different rates!), don't panic; they can all be gently reheated to serve.

Ingredients

  • 500g potatoes
  • Salt and pepper
  • 400g carrots
  • 1 tsp bouillon powder
  • 2 apples
  • 50g butter
  • 1 tsp light brown sugar
  • 4 boneless pork loin slices
  • Oil for cooking
  • 100g smoked Cheddar
  • 1 tbsp coarse grain mustard - add to taste
  • A splash of milk (optional)

Method

Prep time: 10 min
Cooking time: 30 min

  • Step 1

    Peel and chop the potatoes into 2-3cm dice. Put them in a pan, cover with cold water and add a good pinch of salt. Put them on the hob to heat. Once boiling, they'll take approx. 10-12 mins to cook until soft. Drain once cooked.

  • Step 2

    Peel the carrots and chop at an angle into 2-3cm pieces. Put the carrots in another pan, one with a lid. Add the bouillon and enough water to just cover the carrots. Bring to a low boil, cover and leave to simmer for approx. 15-20 mins, depending how large you've chopped them. Keep an eye on the pan and stir now and then.

  • Step 3

    Put your grill on a medium-high heat. Into a small saucepan, peel and coarsely grate the apples, discarding the cores. Add ¼ of the butter, the sugar and 2 tbsp water. Gently heat the apples until they collapse into a rough sauce. Add a little more water if the sauce starts to look too dry.

  • Step 4

    Meanwhile, lay a piece of foil on your grill tray. Rub the pork with a little oil and season. Lay the pork on the foil. Grill for 2 mins. Coarsely grate the smoked Cheddar while they grill.

  • Step 5

    Turn the pork over. Grill for a further 1-2 mins or so, until cooked through. Spoon the apple sauce over each pork steak, then top with the smoked Cheddar. Grill until the smoked Cheddar is golden and melted.

  • Step 6

    Mash the cooked and drained potatoes with the mustard, some salt and pepper and remaining butter (you could add a splash of milk too).

  • Step 7

    Check the carrots are tender (drain off any excess liquid). Serve the pork with the potato mash and carrots, drizzling any juices from the grill pan over the pork.