Slow braised spiced pork

Cut the pork in half and season lightly with salt and pepper, rubbing it in with your hands.

Heat a little olive oil in a pan and brown the pork on all sides for 10 minutes.

Place the meat in a roasting dish and add the vegetables. Place in the oven at 160C for 30 minutes. If beginning to dry out, add a few tablespoons of cider. After another 30 minutes add the star anise, 2 cloves and a good dose of soy sauce.

Turn the meat over, and put it back in the oven for roughly 2 hours until the pork is extremely tender. Continue to add cider every 30-45 minutes to prevent the meat from drying out. When cooked and very tender, take out of the oven and transfer the meat to a warm place to rest for 10 minutes.

Strain the juices into another pan, pressing the veg through the sieve to get out as much flavour as possible. Heat through and reduce or add a little stock if necessary.

Gratin potatoes

Peel and slice the potatoes. Crush and chop the garlic and crush with the rock salt. Put the milk and cream in a pot on a low heat. Add the garlic salt into the cream and milk and cook for a few minutes.

Add the potatoes to the cream, enough to just cover the potatoes. Add more milk or cream as required. Cook for 15 minutes until the cream thickens. Spoon the potatoes into a deep baking tray and pour over the cream until the potatoes are just covered.

Transfer to the oven at 190C for 25 minutes until golden brown. Check the potatoes with a knife to make sure there is no resistance. Serve immediately.

Steamed beetroot

Cut the leaves from the beetroot and set aside. Peel the beetroot and cut into wedges and place in a pan with 3-4 tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt. Cover with a lid to allow them to gently steam. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, honey and chopped ginger. Add water as required to prevent the beetroot burning. Test with a knife, they’re done when soft (15-20 minutes).

Cook the beetroot leaves in water, remove, squeeze out any excess and then fry in butter, season well and serve.

Caramelised apples

Add a little lemon juice and a few teaspoons of water into a bowl. Cut the apples into quarters, remove core and then halve again. If you like, trim part of the skin from the apples. Put into the bowl of lemon water.

Melt the butter in a pan then add the apples. After a few minutes add some sugar to the pan. Continue to toss the apples to prevent them burning. Add more sugar if needed and a pinch of salt. Cook until they turn golden brown.

Serve

When you’re ready to serve, cut the meat into slices and place on warm serving plates, along with a helping of caramelised apples, beetroot, beet greens and a portion of gratin, with the gravy poured over.