Enjoy the succulence and tenderness of roast pork, alongside a tangy and fresh, spiced apple sauce.

Ingredients:

  • 1.5kg loin of pork, boneless and skinned (ask your butcher to do this for you, it will make carving easier)
  • 1 tblspn Dijon mustard
  • 1 tblspn pesto
  • 4 slices bread, crust off and diced
  • 1 lemon half, juiced and zested
  • 6 sage leaves
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 red apples, quartered
  • Butchers string
  • Green vegetables and roast
  • gravy to serve

Thyme and garlic sautéed potatoes

  • 25g butter
  • 1kg potatoes, peeled and halved
  • 1 tspn fresh thyme leaves
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Spiced apple sauce

  • 4 green cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
  • 30g butter
  • 2 tblsp water
  • 2 tblsp white wine vinegar
  • ¼ tspn ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tspn ground cinnamon
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 30g soft dark brown sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Using a sharp knife, score the underside of the loin to open it up for the stuffing. Mix the diced bread, lemon juice, zest, pesto, salt, pepper and mustard together to a paste. Spread inside the pork and roll into a barrel shape. Secure with the string placing a sage leaf under the six knots.Put the pork, uncut-side up, in a roasting tin, drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle over some salt.

For the potatoes: melt the butter in a microwave and pour over the potatoes in a bowl and toss with the thyme and garlic. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange around the pork in the roasting tin.

For the red apples: sprinkle with some of the brown sugar and olive oil in a bowl, toss to
coat and arrange amongst the potatoes with the pork. Roast the pork, apple and potatoes for approximately 1 hour or until cooked through. The juices will run clear when the meat is pierced with a skewer when cooked through. Pour any juices from the tray into your gravy.

For the apple sauce: put the green apples in a pan with the butter, water, vinegar and spices. Cover and cook until softened but chunky. Add sugar to taste.

To serve: cut the pork into portions with the roast apples, potatoes, spiced apple sauce, steamed green vegetables and gravy on the side.