TESCO FINEST PORK - Emily Jonzen / Rosie Reynolds

Why have one food writer tell you their perfect Sunday dinner when you can have two? Rosie Reynolds and Emily Jonzen share their recipes for success, from main event to sides. Gather your friends and family round – and let’s get crackling

Joint effort: create the ultimate roast pork

or making the most of every moment with friends and family, what could be more lovely than getting together over a lazy Sunday lunch or a relaxed dinner? It’s such a timeless pleasure, doing the job of filling us up while we share an array of incredible flavours. “Pork is my go-to meat if I’m entertaining,” says food writer Rosie Reynolds. “It is so versatile and works beautifully with so many flavour and texture profiles – from hot, sharp and spicy to creamy and fruity.” Taking Tesco Finest crackling pork loin joint as their inspiration, we invited Rosie and fellow food writer Emily Jonzen to create inspirational lunch ideas just right for deliciously quality time spend together. “My favourite thing about a Tesco Finest crackling pork loin joint is that it has something for everyone,” says Rosie. “It’s tender and lean but with a juicy, unctuous fat layer and irresistible, crunchy crackling. If your guests like a leaner cut, you’ve got them covered, and if like me they love it all, they’ll be thrilled.” Below, you’ll find Rosie’s and Emily’s recipes, complete with delicious side dishes. These are created to inspire your culinary repertoire, but based around a go-to, well prepped joint that’s the star of the show without you having to make very much effort at all. Because, as Emily points out, “We don’t want to be tied to the kitchen when cooking for guests.” It’s all about being round the table, together.

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Rosie Reynolds’ crackling pork loin joint with griddled peach salad and pink pickled onions

Rosie Reynolds

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar • 4 firm, ripe peaches, cut into quarters, stone removed • Olive oil • 1 tbsp runny honey • 1 sweet gem lettuce, shredded • 85g bag watercress • 1 Tesco Finest sourdough loaf, torn into bite-sized pieces • 1½ tsp Dijon mustard

For the pork

Preheat oven to 230C/210C fan/gas mark 8. Remove the pork joint from the packaging and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting. Sprinkle with some flaky salt. Cooking time is 30 minutes per 500g, plus 30 minutes. Place on a roasting tin in the centre of the preheated oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, reduce the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4 and cook for the remaining time. Allow to rest in a warm place for 10-15 minutes before serving. Use a sharp knife to carefully remove the crackling and then slice the pork loin and crackling and serve with your sides. Serves 6, see individual pack weight.

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 6)

• ½ white cabbage, shredded • 1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely grated • 1 eating apple, cored and cut into matchsticks • 4 spring onions, thinly sliced • Large handful coriander, roughly chopped • 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds (optional)

First make the dressing by adding all of the ingredients into a small bowl. Stir to combine and taste for seasoning – it should be spicy, salty and a little sweet. Add extra chilli, fish sauce and sugar according to your taste. Set aside. Put the shredded cabbage in a large bowl with the grated carrot, apple, spring onions and coriander. Pour over the dressing and toss to combine. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with slices of pork and shards of crisp pork crackling.

Sweet, sour and spicy slaw

METHOD

Come together with Tesco Finest crackling pork loin joint this summer

Photography: HOWARD SHOOTER, MING TANG-EVANS/STUDIO PI. FOOD Styling: Vicki SMALLWOOD, DENISE SMART FOR BRIDGE STUDIO

This is a great centrepiece for a summer lunch. Talk about how to show your friends and family you love them – and that you’ve still got it. Cooking peaches like this intensifies their sweetness, which complements the pork. The sourdough croutons are cooked in the pork roasting juices so all of those extra special flavours are layered up in the salad. Joints of meat can be a little intimidating but Tesco’s expertly trained butchers have already done the hard work, hand scoring the skin for perfect crackling, and the oven does the rest. A hot blast at the start will give you crackling that is crisp and bubbling once the joint is cooked. After serving my joint as a centrepiece, I slice up the pork so everyone gets some crackling with their salad for a crunchy, juicy pop of flavour that cuts through the whole dish.

Creamy grilled corn salad with spicy lime zest salt and crunchy veg

ROSIE’S RECOMMENDED SIDES

Heat a griddle pan or barbecue to hot. Rub the corn cobs with a little oil and cook on the griddle pan for 15 minutes, turning every couple of minutes or until lightly charred all over and tender. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the zest from the limes and add to a small bowl with chilli powder and salt, stir to combine. Set aside. Put the sliced red onion and radish into a bowl and squeeze over the juice of 1 lime and a pinch of salt, set aside for 10 minutes. Stand the corn cobs on one end and use a sharp knife to carefully remove the corn kernels. Transfer them to a large serving platter and add the tomatoes, roasted peppers and avocado. Dot the soured cream over them. Drain the radish and onion and add these over the top of the salad, then sprinkle over the spicy lime zest salt. Cut the remaining lime into wedges for squeezing.

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 6)

METHOD

• Olive oil for brushing • 4 corn on the cobs • 2 limes • ½ tsp chilli powder • ½ tsp flaky salt • ½ small red onion, thinly sliced • 8 radishes, thinly sliced • 225g packet Tesco Finest Piccobella tomatoes • 2 roasted peppers from a jar, drained and thinly sliced • 1 large avocado, stone removed and diced • 150ml tub soured cream

Balinese-style roast pork with lemongrass rice and sambal greens

To my mind, this recipe strikes the perfect balance – an impressive feast for the guests and a straightforward process for the cook. This recipe is very much an interpretation of the Balinese delicacy, babi guling. Traditionally, a whole suckling pig is marinated in spices and basted with turmeric oil, rendering it crisp and deep amber in colour, then cooked slowly over a fire and served with sambal and rice. This is my take on the Balinese classic, forgoing the demands of whole pigs and open fires, and making allowances for ingredients readily available on your doorstep. The foundation of the dish is excellent quality pork. Tesco Finest crackling pork loin joint is cut from prime, outdoor-bred pork and is hand scored by expertly trained butchers to ensure crispy crackling. The generous layer of fat is indicative of a well cared for animal. To complement and cut through the richness of the meat, it is served with sambal green beans and lemongrass rice.

Emily Jonzen

Lemongrass rice

EMILY'S RECOMMENDED SIDES

Sambal green beans

For the salad and onions

Put the sliced onions in a sieve in the sink and pour over a kettle of boiling water. Drain, tip into a small bowl with a large pinch of salt and the red wine vinegar, cover. Chill until ready to use. Brush the cut side of each peach quarter with a little oil. Heat a griddle pan over a high heat, cook the peach quarters for 2 minutes on each cut side. Transfer to a large serving platter. Mix the honey with 1 tbsp oil, drizzle this over the warm peaches. Leave to cool to room temperature. This can be done a day in advance. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4. Put the torn sourdough onto the pork roasting tray and toss to coat in pan juices, drizzle over 1 tbsp olive oil and cook for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden and crisp. Leave to cool slightly. You can also cook the croutons on a tray with 2 tbsp oil. Gently transfer peach quarters from the serving bowl to a plate, leaving behind resting juices. Drain the pickled onion vinegar into the peach juices and add 2 tbsp olive oil and the Dijon mustard. Season, whisk to combine. Tip lettuce and watercress into the bowl, toss to coat in the dressing, dot the peaches over the top followed by sourdough croutons and pink pickled onions. Slice the pork and serve alongside the salad and shards of crackling, and roasted new potatoes.

INGREDIENTS

To me, corn on the cob tastes like summer and this crunchy, creamy, zingy side dish will not disappoint. I like to serve this salad with thick slices of pork placed on top of it, scattered with crispy crackling.

I have taken influence from Asian flavours in this slaw to achieve the balance of sweet, sour and spicy. Taste the dressing as you go and tweak to suit your taste buds. A side of cooked rice noodles dressed with some sesame oil would be brilliant.

• 1 red chilli, finely chopped • Thumb-size piece of ginger, grated • 2 tbsp cider vinegar • 1 tsp white sugar • 1 tbsp light soy sauce • 1 tbsp fish sauce • 2 tsp sesame oil

FOR THE SLAW

FOR THE DRESSING

Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7. Remove the pork from the fridge and pat dry. Sprinkle the salt over the skin only and rub into the cuts. Set aside for 30 minutes. To make the spice paste, tip the coriander seeds and peppercorns into a frying pan and toast over a low/medium heat for 1-2 minutes, until the spices smell warm and fragrant. Remove from the heat and roughly crush. Trim the lemongrass and roughly chop. Place in a food processor along with the spices, shallots, garlic, ginger, chillies, half the turmeric, half the coriander, 2 tbsp oil and a generous pinch of salt, and blend till it forms a paste. Brush the salt from the skin and pat dry. Make a horizontal incision in the eye of the meat without cutting all the way through. Fill with most of the spice paste and rub the remainder of the paste over the flesh (avoiding the skin). Secure the incision with cocktail sticks. Combine the remaining turmeric with the remaining oil and brush over the skin. Sprinkle with a little more salt. Roast the pork for 30 minutes, until the skin is puffed and crackled. Lower the heat to 160C/140C fan/gas mark 3 and continue to roast for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes (depending on weight) until the pork is just cooked through. Once the pork is cooked, set aside to rest. Discard the cocktail sticks, cut the pork into thick slices and the crackling into shards. Serve with the rice and beans.

Serves 4, with leftovers COOKING TIME: 1 HR 30 TO 1 HR 45

METHOD

• 1 x Tesco Finest crackling pork loin joint • 1 tbsp flaky sea salt

INGREDIENTS

For the spice paste

• ½ tbsp coriander seeds • ½ tbsp black peppercorns • 1 lemongrass stalk, outer leaves removed • 1 echalion shallot, peeled and roughly chopped • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped • 15g ginger root, peeled and roughly chopped • 2 red chillies, roughly chopped • ½ tbsp ground turmeric • 15g of fresh coriander • 3 tbsp groundnut oil

The pork can be prepared to the point at which it is ready to go into the oven the day before and kept in the fridge overnight – just take it out 30 minutes prior to roasting

The rice is simply steamed with lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, providing a soothing backbone to the dish. This method for cooking rice is also your ticket to fluffy, tender grains every time.

Wash the rice well in a sieve. Tip into a mixing bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Bruise the lemongrass with the back of a knife and lightly crush the lime leaves in your hand. Drain the rice and tip into a large pan. Cover with double the volume of cold water, add a pinch of salt, the lemongrass and lime leaves. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to its lowest setting and steam the rice for 10-12 minutes.

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4)

METHOD

• 300g jasmine rice • 1 lemongrass stalk, outer leaves removed • 2 kaffir lime leaves

Crisp, tender beans are stir-fried in a fiery chilli sambal with juicy cherry tomatoes. The sambal should have a kick, but you can also adjust the amount of chilli according to preference for heat.

Blend the shallot, garlic, chilli and anchovies until fairly smooth. Set aside for now. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the sambal mix and fry for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, until beginning to break down. Add the beans to the pan and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, until just tender. Add the dark soy and lime juice, according to taste.

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4)

METHOD

•1 echalion shallot, peeled and roughly chopped •2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped •1 red chilli, finely chopped •2 anchovies in oil, drained and roughly chopped •1 tbsp groundnut oil •200g Tesco Finest Piccolo tomatoes, halved •400g fine green beans •1 tbsp dark soy sauce •1 lime, halved

Balinese-style roast pork

• 1 x Tesco Finest crackling pork loin joint • 1 tbsp flaky sea salt

Come together with Tesco Finest crackling pork loin joint this summer

METHOD

Creamy grilled corn salad with spicy lime zest salt and crunchy veg

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