Pork neck has to be one of my favourite cuts. It’s fatty and tender enough to be cooked hot and quickly, like a steak, but can also be cooked low and slowly without drying out. Here, we’re doing the former and setting it aside while we build the rest of the dish in the pan. Shallots, sage and garlic are our base flavours, while potatoes cooked in chicken stock absorb all that delicious meaty flavour and thicken the sauce as they cook. Sultanas, meanwhile, add a lovely burst of sweetness. It’s the kind of mid-week meal that can be thrown together in less than 30 minutes but still impresses.
600g pork neck steaks (aka pork scotch fillet steaks)
salt and black pepper
1 bunch silverbeet
5 tbsp olive oil
3 large shallots, each cut into 6 wedges
¼ cup chopped sage
2 large garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled but left whole
½ cup white wine or verjus
8 cocktail potatoes, cut into 1cm-thick slices
¼ cup sultanas
2 cups chicken stock
2 tsp grainy Dijon mustard zest and juice of ½ lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
Season the pork steaks with salt and black pepper and set aside while you assemble your ingredients.
Half-fill a large pot with water, bring to the boil and season well with salt. Add the silverbeet, making sure it is completely under water, and boil for 3 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.
Heat a wide saute pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the pork steaks until well browned on each side (about 6-8 minutes in total). Remove them from the pan and set aside.
Add the shallots, sage and crushed garlic to the pan and saute until browned (about 3-4 minutes). Add the white wine to deglaze and allow it to simmer for about 30 seconds.
Add the potatoes, sultanas and chicken stock and a good pinch of salt to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan with the lid slightly ajar and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through and can be pierced easily with a knife. If the pan is running dry before the potatoes are cooked, add ¼ cup of water.
When the potatoes are cooked, add the mustard and the lemon zest and juice, then swirl everything around to mix properly. Nestle the pork steaks back in the pan and pour in the pork’s resting juices, too. Simmer for about 2 minutes, until the pork steaks are just heated through.
While that’s happening, heat another saute pan over medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds, then add the blanched silverbeet and season with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 2 minutes to heat the greens.
Plate the greens first and then top with the pork, potatoes and sauce.
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