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Photo by Jun Pang

Nothing fancy here but it’s open for fancy stuff.  Chuck some smoked paprika into the braise to add little more flavour or saute some chorizo sausage in before you add the liquids, it lifts the dish to another level.  The polenta can also be added to like a little truffle oil at the end or saute mixed mushrooms in butter and fold it through just before serving and finish it off with a poached egg – bloody beautiful!

Most people ask me for quick recipes; simple but tasty.  They would rather know how to poach an egg than get too complicated with cooking.  The easier the better for most people.  No one has time these days and most would rather eat a meal that’s home cooked.  Simple dishes like these are often the best solution.

Tomato & Pork Neck Chop with Olives, Capsicum & Speck served with White Polenta

Serve 4

For the pork

4 Pork Neck Chops

200 gr Speck (or bacon) – sliced into thin strips

1 Onion – finely diced

6 Cloves Garlic – squashed with a back of a knife

2 Carrots – 2cm dice

1 Capsicum – deseeded and sliced 1cm thick strips

1 cup Kalamatta Olives

2 x 410gr tins of Tomatoes

500ml Chicken Stock

1 Fresh Bay Leaf

5 sprigs fresh Thyme

Sea Salt

Ground Black Pepper

Olive Oil

For the Polenta

1 Onion – finely Diced

½  Cup White Polenta

3 Cups Milk

100gr Butter

200 gr Parmesan Cheese

1 bunch Parsley – finely Chopped

Method

For the Pork

1. Put the oven on at 180 degrees Celsius
2. Heat up an oven proof pot on high heat until the pan is almost at smoking point.
3. Season the pork with salt and pepper.  Add a little oil and brown the pork in the hot pan on both sides then set aside.
4. Add the speck to same pan and cook until slightly brown to flavour the pot
5. Sauté the onions, garlic, carrots, capsicum and olives until soft until onions are soft
6. Pour in the tomatoes and cook until it starts to break down or for about 8 minutes on medium high heat.
7. Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil then allow it to simmer for ten minutes
8. Place thyme and bay leaf in the pot along with the browned pork.
9. Cover and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes
10. Check seasoning and serve.

For the Polenta.

1. Heat a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add the butter and sauté the onions until soft.
2. Pour the milk into the pot and bring to a simmer
3. Slowly stream the polenta into the pot whilst whisking with the other hand, avoiding the lumps
4. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir continuously for about ten minutes.  Add hot water from the kettle if consistency is too stiff.
5. When the polenta is soft and creamy, grate the parmesan into the pot off the heat
6. Just before serving, stir the chopped parsley through

Photo by Jun Pang