Cider, Pork & Sage.   Match made in food heaven………Seriously.  Nothing beats a good ole meat and two veg  on the table in half an hour that is so big on the flavour scale, its off the chart!

Prep time:   15 minutes

Cooking time:  20 minutes

$$  Medium Budget

Serves 4

For the Cider Pork:

Olive oil for frying

4 pork loin cutlets

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

6 slices of pancetta, roughly chopped

1/2 a cup of sage leaves

1 cup of apple cider

2 tbs of onion jam, I use Beerenberg

2 tbs of red wine vinegar

For the Parsnip Puree:

2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped into small chunks

2 Parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks (removal of the woody centre will ensure creamy puree)

40gm of butter

75ml of pure cream

Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Extra sage leaves for garnish, finely sliced

Steamed greens to serve

Place the potatoes and parsnip in a large saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to the boil and cook for approximately 20 minutes or until tender when prodded with a knife.

To make the Cider Pork, heat a large heavy based frypan to a medium heat.  Rub the pork cutlets with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place in the pan and fry on both sides until you have a nice golden crust.  Remove from the pan, pop them on a plate and set aside.

In the same pan add the pancetta and fry until golden and almost crispy.  Add the garlic, sage, cider, chutney and vinegar.  Stir well to combine and allow to simmer for around five minutes before returning the pork to the pan, juices and all.  Spoon mixture over pork periodically and allow to cook for around 8 minutes. The sauce will reduce and thicken during this time.

Drain the potatoes and add butter and cream.  Season generously with salt and pepper and for the creamiest puree, use a stick blender to process until creamy and smooth.

To serve the Cider Pork, place a dollop of puree on each plate and flatten with the back of the spoon making a nice well in the centre.  Pop a pork cutlet in the centre of the mash and divide the sauce evenly.  Garnish with extra sage leaves and serve the Cider Pork with greens of your choice.