Spicy Pork

This is a recipe of many which I wrote down, I can't remember when or where from, and had never cooked until last night. I have got lots of these! The visiting daughter and the semi resident one being with us as well, gave me an opportunity to try it. It is special enough to impress and be served up with some good accompaniments, such as a green salad and roast potatoes but also easy and very quick both to prepare and cook. Next time I do it, I am going to try serving on a bed of cannellini beans, heated with garlic and some softened peppers (or those lovely ones from a jar) plus lots of parsely added at the last moment. 

Spicy Pork

A whole Pork Fillet - best from the butcher but also readily available in supermarkets. This is a treat meat, lean and fairly expensive but it will probably cost you less than a free range chicken.

Marinade:
1 tablespoon hot smoked paprika - we had some brought back from a 'city break' few days in Budapest which is really hot. If you can't get it, you need to spice up your sweet paprika with some cayenne.
1 tbs dried oregano
1 tbs dried thyme
Juice of half a lemon
Garlic - say 2 cloves smashed


Mix these with enough olive oil to make a thick paste to coat your fillet.
Rub it all in thoroughly and then leave in a non metallic dish.
You need a minimum of 20 mins for this but I left it all afternoon.

• Scrape some of the thick herby bits of the marinade off so it doesn't burn but don't worry too much about it.
• Brown the meat quickly in a hot pan, with a little oil in it, on all sides.
• Put into a roasting dish in a hot oven, No 6/7. The recipe says for 15 minutes. I checked after that time by cutting a little slice and it was still too pink so I gave it another 15 and rested it for 5 mins too. If you have a very hot oven and the meat has not been in the fridge, maybe 15 mins would be enough but be careful and check. You don't want to eat pink pork but this will dry out if it is cooked too long.
• Slice across diagonally so you get longish slices. This will feed at least 4 - you could stretch it for more but we ate every scrap. We had allotment veg and new potatoes with it and no gravy or sauce and it was delicious. You could dress it up for friends with a saucy salad or ratatouille type veg etc. I think it might be very good cold eg on a buffet table too.