Pork pitta pockets
Ingredients
450g (1lb ) lean pork, cut into thin strips, and two peppers, deseeded and sliced. Spicy marinade: one tablespoon of curry paste; one tablespoon of oil; salt and black pepper. To serve: mixed salad leaves; olive oil and lemon juice; four pitta breads toasted; Greek-style yoghurt or mayonnaise (optional ); and a pinch of salt.
Method
Mix the curry paste, oil, and seasoning. Pour it over the pork and mix well. Cook for five to six minutes in a hot pan. Then add the peppers and cook for another minute or two.
Toss the lettuce leaves in some olive oil and lemon juice. Pile into the pitta bread. Top with pork strips and peppers.
Serve with some Greek style yoghurt or mayonnaise (optional ).
Braised beef in Irish stout
Ingredients
1kg (2lbs ) shoulder beef, cut into thin slices; one onion, chopped; two leeks; two carrots; two celery sticks, chopped; two cloves garlic; 250ml well reduced beef stock; 125ml stout; salt and black pepper; 50g butter; 75g streaky bacon, diced; 100g wild mushrooms, if available, sliced; 50g small onions, peeled; and 25g flour.
Method
Heat the oil in a large pan, brown the meat well. Remove to a pot. Next sauté half an onion, leeks, carrots, and celery. Add to the meat plus the garlic. Pour in the stock and stout, season. Simmer gently for approximately one and a half hours. Remove the meat from the pot. Strain the liquid. Discard the vegetables.
Place the meat back in a clean pot, plus the liquid. Sauté the bacon, mushrooms, and remaining onion in 25g of butter. Add to the pot. Reheat the lot. Blend the flour with remaining butter. Stir it into the sauce, stirring well. Taste for seasoning. Serve in a deep dish with buttery mash.
