Pork Chops Perfectly Cooked! Delicious Porky Goodness!

Who doesn't love a perfectly cooked juicy pork chop with home made gravy and steamed fresh vegetables.  What are you having for tea?

Local Butcher Corned Beef And Cabbage

Corned Beef with Cabbage

 This is  real comfort food.  I grew up having corned beef and cabbage with boiled potatoes and carrots.  With the leftovers the next day we had corned beef fritters with home made tomato sauce.

You'll need 1 corned beef brisket, 1 tbsp malt vinegar, 2 large onions, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 6 black peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, 4 cloves, 1/2 a cabbage, 4 potatoes, 4 carrots, your favorite mustard
In a pot large enough to hold the corned beef place the beef, vinegar, sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves, 1 onion with the cloves stuck in, 1 carrot and water to cover and bring to a boil.  Turn heat down to low for a gentle simmer and.  Cook until fork tender - about 2 - 3 hours.  Remove flovourings and all but meat and water.  Cut rest of vegetables into serving sizes and slice cabbage.  Add these vegetables to the pot of cooked corned beef and  return to a simmer until all are tender.  Serve corned beef slices with the vegetables and mustard and some of the cooking liquid.

You may like to make a mustard sauce.  Melt 1/2 tbsp butter and stir in 1 tbsp mustard until well combined.  Stir in 1 tbsp flour until forms a paste.  Cook for a minute to cook the flour.  Remove from heat.  Gradually add 1 cup of the cooking water until smooth then cook while stirring continuously.  Return to the heat and bring to boil while stirring until thickened.  Add 1 tbsp malt vinigar and stir through.  Serve hot over the corned beef.

Note: Corned beef can be very salty.  If you find the meat is too salty for your taste try bringing the corned beef to a boil in plain water first, discard the water then follow recipe above.  If you find a good butcher who corns his meat it should not be a problem!

Mustard &Parsley Sauce

Good handful Flat Leaf Italian Parsley chopped, 1 heaoed tablespoon Butter, 1 heaped tablespoon plain flour, 1/2 cup full cream milm and 1/2 cup cooking liquid (more if sauce is too thick), 1 - 2 tablespoon seeded or dijon mustard, salt & pepper, to taste

Melt butter in a saucepan then take off heat, add flour and mix to make a paste, start adding liquid mixture bit by bit to avoid lumps intil all combined and smooth.  Return to a moderate heat and cook until starts to thicken - keep stirring all the time, add 

parsley, and salt & pepper to taste and cook until thick enough - either pour over sliced corned beef or put in a small jug to serve.  

The Simple Things In Life - Fresh Produce

Some fresh fruit and vegetables simply served - minimal is often the way to go!  Let the produce be the star! Yum!

Tropical Fruits

Vine Tomatoes - on buttery toast with salt and pepper!

What can we make with these?  Minimal prep and serve!

Steamed and served - salt cracked black pepper butter!