By Simon Woods
Recipe
For the pork
1 Yorkshire outdoor bred pork fillet (350-420g)
2 table spoons of rapeseed oil
Malden sea salt and cracked black pepper
8-10 lollipop sticks/skewers
For the dipping sauce
80g fresh ginger peeled and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
1 red chilli seeds removed and finely chopped
60g light soy sauce
40g dark soy sauce
20g fish sauce
90g crunchy peanut butter
200g coconut milk
1 lime zest and juice
For the dipping crunch
100g cashew nuts
20g light soy sauce
20g black onion seeds
2 spring onions finely sliced
Method
For the pork – trim any excess fat and silver skin from the pork fillet. Create a double layer of cling film on the work top approximately 60cm in length and smooth off with a cloth to remove any air pockets. Place the pork fillet on to the cling film and roll the cling film up tightly around the fillet. Tie a knot in one side of the clingfilm close to the end of the fillet. Holding the clingfilm tightly at the untied side roll the pork fillet on the table creating a tight Xmas cracker style package around the pork fillet and tie a knot in the remaining side keeping it as tight as possible. This will shape the pork fillet into a perfect round cylinder when cut making consistent sized lollipops. If time is no issue leave in the fridge for 24 hours. If you are creating this last minute, place the pork cracker into the freezer for an hour to set. Once rested either over night or in the freezer with a sharp cooks knife cut the pork fillet into medallions 1.5-2cm thick leaving the clingfilm on. Once cut remove the cling film from the medallions being careful not to ruin the nice round shape. Place the medallions on a baking tray to come upto room temperature for 30 mins before cooking. Brush with rapeseed oil on both sides and season with plenty of Malden sea salt and cracked black pepper.
For the sauce
Heat a large frying pan on a medium to high heat with 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil. Add the garlic, ginger and chili and fry for 1-minute stirring so the mix doesn’t burn. Add the coconut milk, soy sauces, fish sauce, and peanut butter then bring to a simmer stirring constantly until the peanut butter has thickened the sauce. Add the Lime juice and zest and remove from the heat.
For the crunch
Pre-heat the oven to 200’c. Mix the cashews with the soy sauce and place on a tray lined with non-stick paper. Place the cashews in the oven for 10 minutes stirring halfway through until the cashews have a shiny sticky glaze. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cooled roughly chop the nuts and mix with the black onion seeds and finely sliced spring onions.
To finish
Heat a griddle pan on a medium to high heat – no need to add any oil as we have oiled the pork medallions. When the pan starts to smoke, place the medallions on the griddle and cook for 2 minutes without moving, turn the pork medallions over and cook for another 2 minutes without moving to create some dark charred lines on the pork. Remove the pork onto a warm plate and cover with tin foil and allow to rest for 2 minutes. Skewer the pork with the lollipop sticks, dip into the peanut sauce then into the cashew crunch mix
Enjoy!!!
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