Pork casserole isn’t something I make very often. This was really good though, so I’m definitely going to make it again.
I was rummaging in the freezer looking for inspiration the other day when I came across a small pork joint I’d bought really cheaply from our local butcher a few weeks ago.
I was cooking for 5, so there wouldn’t have been much to go round just as a roast, so after having a think, I decided to use it in a casserole. (Tip) Sometimes a small joint is much better value than buying loose when making casseroles and stews).
I didn’t want to end up with a fatty casserole, so decided to roast it first so I could make sure I’d removed all the fat. I wrapped it in foil and cooked in the oven for an hour and a half. till well done. You can’t be too careful when cooking pork, so you should never cook it rare. After it was cooked, I removed all the visible fat.
Whilst it was cooking, I grabbed a casserole pack out of the freezer, threw it in my stew pan with some water, stock, salt, pepper, Worcester sauce and mixed herbs and brought it to the boil. Once boiling, I transferred it over to my slow cooker and let it cook on medium for several hours.
The next day, (Stew/casserole is always better the next day), I brought it back to the boil and added the pork. I didn’t slice the pork up as I didn’t want it to disintegrate into the gravy. Instead I just plonked it in the middle of the stock to carry on cooking. I let it cook for a further 3 hours until the kids came in from school. I used a fork to ‘pull’ the pork into the casserole, added some gravy thickener then served it up with mashed potatoes and petit pois peas. (There was obviously plenty of other veg in the casserole).
Perfect for a cold winters day..
Tip, Worcester sauce gives a really nice flavour kick. Also you can get casserole packs from farmfoods for a £1 each. I always have a couple in the freezer for when I don’t have quite enough fresh veg in and they make a perfect substitute.
