IBERICO FORE LOIN WITH GRILLED PURPLE ENDIVE AND APRICOT PURÉE

A well-loved Iberico pork dish from the South of Portugal. The acidity from the apricot plays a role in cutting through the fattiness of the pork. Here, the purple endive is used as a salad, as traditionally in Portugal, pork is eaten with a salad.

Serves 1 Prep time

50 minutes + 2 hours brining + 6 hours sous vide + overnight soaking + 4 hours simmering

Cook time 40 minutes PORK FORE LOIN

150g salt

1 litre water

200g Iberico pork fore loin 1g black peppercorn 1 clove of garlic 1g coriander seeds 1g juniper berries

» Dissolve the salt in the water and brine the pork for 2 hours to season and enhance its texture.

» Drain off the brine and place pork in a large vacuum bag with peppercorn, garlic, coriander seeds and juniper berries.

» Seal completely and pasteurise for 10 minutes at 83°C steam.

» Prepare a water bath at 66°C, sous vide the pork for 6 hours.

» Remove pork from water bath. Place it in an ice bath to halt cooking and leave it at room temperature. Remove and extract all bones gently from the pork.

» Then seal it again in vacuum bag. Set aside. VEGETABLE STOCK 500g chickpeas

2 litres water

1kg celery, chopped 6 leeks, chopped 6 carrots, chopped 500g daikon, chopped 6 onions, chopped

» Soak chickpeas overnight in a bowl filled with 2 litres of water.

» In a pot, add everything together and bring to boil. Simmer for 4 hours.

» Strain and set aside until ready to use.

APRICOT PURÉE

300g fresh apricot 500g vegetable stock salt to taste

» Blanch apricot for 30 seconda and remove the skin.

» Combine apricot and vegetable stock into a Vitamix and blend.

» Add salt to taste.

» Pass purée through a fine tamis and cool to room temperature. Set aside until ready to use. PORK JUS

1.2kg pork bones 1 carrot, chopped 1 leek, chopped 1 onion, chopped 8 litres water 2 bay leaves

» Preheat oven at 220°C, roast the pork bones till brown.

» Meanwhile, sauté carrots, leek and onions at medium heat in a pot until soft.

» Add water, bay leaves and pork bones, and bring it to a boil.

» Once it boils, turn down the heat and slowly reduce for 6 hours

» After boiling, strain the jus and store it in a container at room temperature.

» Leave jus overnight. Remove the layer of fat. Reduce remaining on soft boil in a pot for another 4 hours until thick.

» Strain and cool to room temperature.

ASSEMBLY

» Portion 100g of pork and slowly sear it on frying pan at low heat with a parchment paper underneath.

» Sear for 10 minutes until brown and crispy.

» Grill a piece of purple endive and plate with pork fore loin, apricot purée and pork jus.