This astonishingly tasty slow cooked pork shoulder is stuffed with fennel seeds, star anise, lemon and chilli. It is superb for Sunday lunch, but also delicious cold the next day in sandwiches. Its also very easy to make. If you dont have a slow cooker, then cook in a lidded casserole dish in a low (160C/Gas 2) oven for 2-3 hours until the meat is meltingly tender. Serve with a simple apple sauce, mashed potatoes and greens. The resulting gravy from the cooking stock is incredible.
Serves 2-4
Boneless pork shoulder, weight approx. 1 kg
250ml chicken stock
250ml white wine
For the stuffing
2 tbsp fennel seeds
2 star anise
1 red chilli, deseeded
3 garlic cloves, peeled
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp rock salt
1. Put all the ingredients for the stuffing in a pestle and mortar and bash the living daylights out of them to make a paste.
2. Lay the pork out flat, skin-side down, on a work surface. With a sharp knife, make deep slashes into the flesh then, with a spatula, spread the spice paste all over, massaging deep into the slashes.
3. Tie up with butchers string and cover with plastic wrap. Put in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours or overnight.
4. When youre ready to cook, add the stock and white wine to a slow cooker, then the pork. Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, until the pork is meltingly tender.
5. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and transfer to a roasting tin. Drain the stock through a sieve into a pan.
7. Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 8 and cook the pork for approx. 40 mins until the skin turns to crackling.
8. Meanwhile, bring the pan of stock to the boil on the hob and reduce by half.
9. Remove the pork from the oven and allow to rest for 10 mins, then carve into thick slices.
10. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes, steamed greens, apple sauce and the stock gravy.
