Pork

At the Farm Shop we don’t treat cooking as a precise science, nor are we trying to give a comprehensive list of recipes. These are some of our favourite dishes and we hope you’ll give some of them a try. They’ve worked for us on countless occasions but that doesn’t mean, with a bit of imagination and a few tweaks, they can’t be improved. Good luck.
PorkCategories
All CategoriesMain IngredientBeefChicken and poultryGameLambMutton  PorkSausageSeafoodVegetableMealDinnerLunchSeasonAutumnSpringSummerWinterSweetDessert
Nduja TagliatelleBy Ben WatsonA quick & simple pasta dish ideal for a mid-week dinner, using our nduja jam and pomarola sauce with roasted courgettes and broad beans.
Ben’s Farm Shop Nduja JamBy Ben WatsonA deliciously addictive spreadable spicy salami that you can make at home. Try with honey on a pizza, bruschetta or panini – or use as a base for any spicy casserole or pasta sauce.
Ham With MarmaladeBy Ben WatsonOne of our most successful creations of the last few years has been our 'Ham with no name'. Originally nameless as a bit of a joke, it's stayed that way and sells as well as, if not better, than either the straightforward, smoked or unsmoked, hams. As with so many things, it came about because we had an excess of our apple juice with ginger to get rid of but now, we're making the juice for the ham.
Sausage & borlotti bean risottoBy Ben WatsonA robust and hearty meal ideal for the winter months, this risotto is pure comfort food and is a super simple mid-week dinner. Simply pop all of the ingredients into one pot and let the risotto, butter and beans work their magic.
Nduja, Ricotta & Onion TartBy Ben WatsonA French onion tart, cooled but still warm out of the oven, is a truly wondrous thing. Hailing, originally, from Alsace, it’s one of the unsung heroes of French regional cooking, sadly forgotten over here until ‘modern British’ chefs, Simon Hopkinson and Rowley Leigh reintroduced us in all its glory. Somewhere between a Quiche Lorraine and Alsatian ‘flammkuchen’ pizza it’s one of those rare beasts that, despite holistic perfection in its original form, is no enemy of the home cook that just can’t leave good things alone. Bacon lardons and various cheeses (Comte, Gruyere, Beaufort etc in particular) are the standard variations and all bring something to the party but the sweetness of the onions also lends itself to all things smoked. The smoked haddock, chicken and bacon/ham theme has been well mined in the Ben’s Farm Shop kitchen, and elsewhere, but our version of Calabrian salami, nduja, is even better. Being made up, primarily, of pork fat, it melts into the onion mix giving an underlying but not overpowering heat without detracting from the sweetness of the onion. The ricotta is a slightly gratuitous, icing on the cake - adding to the onions sweetness and flashed under the grill, it gives an attractive ‘burnt peak’ appearance.As with all pies, you can get to eight out of ten but those last few points depend on the quality of the pastry and you’re only ever going to get those if you make your own. In the BFS kitchen we make tonnes of the stuff and for commercial pastry, it’s pretty good – but because we make it by the hundred weight, it’s always going to be overworked way past the ‘short’ stage. There are whole books out there on the subject so I’m not going to try to reinvent the wheel but whatever route you chose; you’re going to need about 500gms for a 2½cm deep, 28-30 cm tart case.
Chinese Style MeatballsBy Ben WatsonBeyond the holistic perfection of leek and potato soup, I don’t have much appetite for the old fashioned ‘cream of whatever’ concoctions. I’m much more a ‘stoup’ fan, whether it be chowder, minestrone or something similar, and few ‘Cook’s Cheats’ work better than our Miso Ramen Broth and Fish Soup bases. We’ve done the work for you and all you need to do is chose your seafood or ramen additions.Char Siu pork is probably the most common ramen meat ingredient, but I’m a big fan of a Chinese style meatball. Lion’s Head Meatballs with vermicelli noodles, bok choy and Chinese leaves/Napa cabbage are a good place to start. It's really more of a noodle soup than a classic ramen; a Shanghai classic and easy to make. Traditionally, they’re made big – one per person – and served in a bowl with the vermicelli and bok choy ‘mane’ beneath – hence the ‘lion’s head’. Ignoring the aesthetics, small meatballs win hands down on all other counts, so that’s what I do, and the danger of ending up with broth all over your table cloth and shirt front is averted.
Panissa alla VercelleseBy Ben WatsonA classic nose to tail Piedmontese risotto. Harry and I cooked this in preparation for our Piedmont wine evening at the bar, and I thought it was absolutely delicious. Unctuously moreish would be an understatement with lardo, pork rind and bone broth all adding to the ‘cucina rustica’ party.
Tasty BBQ spiced pork ribs, punched potatoes and slawBy JasminPotentially one of the more messy valentines meals you’ll eat and potentially reserved for the well-established couple who aren’t adverse to embarrassing themselves but seeing as we aren’t necessarily able to meet new prospective flames at this odd time in lockdown my assumption is that over the past year we have all learned to get to know one another even better so this recipe will certainly satisfy. The spice mix will make a little more than needed and I’d even recommend making double the recipe as its fantastic dusted on all sorts from nuts to tomatoes before roasting.
Puerco de la Costa with PineappleBy Ben WatsonIn Mexico there are whole genres of pork and pineapple recipes that come under the rather broad name of puerco de la costa (which translates as 'pork in the costal style). This is one of mine from a few years back, that came to mind again after our shops started stocking some particularly good fresh organic pineapples. If you want something a bit more 'bulked out' you can add lentils - just pop them in alongside the sweet potato. Or serve with rice as we've done here. Alternatively, if you cook off a little more of the liquid, this makes a fantastic filling for tacos or tortillas.
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