Porky Fig Skewered Food

PORK LOIN SKEWERS IN RED WINE SAUCE WITH FIG AND CRANBERRY CHUTNEY

Steps:

• For the pork: Bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer and cook the pork belly for 20 minutes. Remove from the water and let cool.
• Combine the salt, sugar, peppercorns, crushed red pepper, bay leaves, garlic and 4 cups water in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then let cool. Place the pork loin in the brine mixture and let sit in the fridge until ready to cook, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. Remove the pork from the brine, discard the brine and bring to room temperature before cooking.
• Heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat. Skewer the pork loin, pork belly, onions and peppers and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the skewers until the pork is cooked through.
• For the red wine sauce: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and saute until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine, beef broth, cranberries, sugar and rosemary. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is reduced by half. Strain the sauce and keep it warm.
• For the chutney: Combine the cranberries, figs, wine, raisins, honey, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and 1/2 cup water in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the raisins, figs, and cranberries are plumped and the mixture is thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the green onion, lemon juice, parsley, thyme, and a drizzle of olive oil.
• Serve the pork topped with the red wine sauce and chutney.

SKEWERED LAMB WITH SPICY POMEGRANATE-RIOJA RED WINE VINAIGRETTE AND MINT-ALMOND RELISH

Steps:

• For the skewered lamb: Combine the oil, garlic, parsley, rosemary and thyme in a bowl. Add the lamb, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. The longer the refrigeration time, the better.
• For the spicy pomegranate-rioja red wine vinaigrette: Combine the pomegranate juice, wine, peppercorns, thyme and 1 tablespoon honey in a small saucepan. Cook over high heat until the syrup is reduced to 1 cup. Remove the syrup from the heat and cool. Remove the thyme and peppercorns with a spoon.
• Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon honey, mustard and vinegar in a bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the red wine syrup. Cover and refrigerate the remaining syrup to keep up to 1 month. Yield: about 1 cup.
• Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.
• Preheat a charcoal grill for direct grilling. Remove the lamb from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper on both sides. Thread 2 or 3 pieces of the lamb onto each skewer, so the lamb lays flat. Grill the lamb until golden brown and charred on both sides and cooked to medium doneness, about 2 minutes each side. Transfer the lamb to a sheet pan. Drizzle the lamb with some Spicy Pomegranate-Rioja Red Wine Vinaigrette and let sit for 5 minutes.
• For the mint-almond relish: Mix the almonds and mint and sprinkle with salt and pepper just before serving.
• Drizzle the remaining Spicy Pomegranate-Rioja Red Wine Vinaigrette over the lamb and sprinkle with the mint-almond relish.

GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH FRESH FIG SKEWERS

Steps:

• Prepare a hot fire in your grill. Brush the tenderloin with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Remove the skewers from the water. Pierce the figs through the middle with a metal skewer or ice pick to make a hole. Then thread 3 figs onto each rosemary or wooden skewer. Lightly brush the figs with olive oil.
• Place the pork tenderloin directly over the fire. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side (the center-cut pork loin filet for 5 to 7 minutes per side), turning a quarter turn at a time, until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 140°F for medium and the meat is juicy and slightly pink in the center.
• At the same time, place the skewered figs over the fire, turning several times and cooking for about 5 to 6 minutes until they are heated through. When they're caramelized and soft, remove the skewers from the heat and keep warm.
• Let the pork rest for about 5 minutes, and then cut on the diagonal into 1- to 2-inch-thick slices.
• To serve, arrange 3 slices of pork with a skewer of figs on each plate, all topped with crumbled goat cheese, drizzled with 1/2 teaspoon honey, and a sprinkled with chopped rosemary.

PORKY POT PIE WITH CHEESY DROP BISCUITS

Steps:

• For the pot pie: Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the pork on all sides. Remove to a plate and set aside.
• To the Dutch oven--with the brown bits still in the pot--add the onions, garlic and oregano; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the flour until completely combined into a roux. Pour in the cognac and simmer until reduced by half. Add the chicken broth and cream, and stir to combine. Add the browned pork. Bring to a simmer, partially cover the pot, and braise over medium heat until the pork is just fork tender, 1 1/2 hours. Stir in the kale, carrots and potatoes, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for another 15 minutes.
• For the biscuit topping: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and sugar. Add the milk and the egg, stirring until just combined. Stir in the Monterey Jack and the melted butter; stir until a batter consistency is reached.
• Spoon tablespoon-size balls of the batter over the pot pie until the top is fully covered with biscuit balls. Brush the tops of the biscuits with milk.
• Bake until the biscuit topping is golden and cooked through, 15 minutes.

PORK SKEWERS

Steps:

• Slice the pork neck into 4cm strips, then toss with your chosen glaze. Leave to marinate for 2 hrs, then thread onto three large skewers. Light the barbecue. Once the flames have died down, cook the skewers for 5 mins on each side (or, cook in a griddle pan set over a high heat). Brush with the rest of the glaze, then cook for a further 2-3 mins on each side, or until cooked through.