Pork Loin Wellington Recipe

Emily Watkins's pork loin Wellington may appear rustic, but hidden inside are many carefully crafted elements. From the hot suet pastry, to the homemade crackling and a sweet, aromatic sage and onion purée, this Wellington recipe truly showcases the best of British cuisine.

Ingredients

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Pork loin and hodge podge Wellington

1.5kg pork loin, on the bone
300g of black pudding
300g of pork mince
chard, 6 leaves only
salt

Hot suet pastry

500g of flour
1/2 tsp salt
175g of lard
200ml of water
750ml of vegetable oil, for deep frying

Grandpa's cabbage

1 savoy cabbage, chiffonade
100g of bacon lardons
2 banana shallots, finely sliced
1 knob of butter
salt

Sage and onion purée

4 red onions, finely sliced
1 bunch of sage
100ml of cream
20g of butter
20ml of vegetable oil
salt
black pepper

Sauce

1000ml of chicken stock
1 star anise
1 sprig of sage
2 sprigs of thyme

Crackling

200g of pig skin
sea salt

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Blender
Deep-fryer
Rolling pin

Begin by preparing the onion and sage purée. Heat the butter and vegetable oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and sweat for 5-10 minutes. Reduce the heat, place a lid on the pan and cook for 4-5 hours until soft, tender and very sweet

20g of butter
20ml of vegetable oil
salt
4 red onions, finely sliced

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 100°C/gas mark 1/4

To prepare the crackling, cut the skin into 1cm wide strips, season with flaky sea salt and place in the oven for 4 hours

200g of pig skin
sea salt

After 4 hours, raise the oven temperature to 220°C/gas mark 8 and bake for 6-8 minutes until golden and crispy

1 hour before the onions are ready, add the cream and sage bunch to a small saucepan, bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and allow to infuse. Remove the sage and blend the cream with the onions into a smooth purée. Season to taste and set aside until required

100ml of cream
1 bunch of sage
salt
black pepper

To prepare the pork loin, remove all of the sinew and bone from the meat and neatly trim the ends of the loin, reserving any scraps and bones to make a sauce. Vacuum seal the prepared loin and set aside

1.5kg pork loin, on the bone

Preheat a water bath to 56°C. Cook the pork in the water bath for 1 hour, then refresh in iced water for 10 minutes

Remove the pork loin from the bag and cut into neat 170g-180g portions

Mix together the black pudding and minced pork, then divide into 6 even portions. Spread 1 portion onto a sheet of cling film to a 1cm thickness. Lay a portion of pork onto 1 end of the mix and roll the black pudding mix around the loin to create an even layer around the meat. Twist the ends of the cling film to seal, then wrap in another sheet of cling film and refrigerate until required. Repeat this process for the remaining 5 portions

300g of black pudding
300g of pork mince

To prepare the hot suet pastry, place the flour and salt in a bowl. Meanwhile, melt the fat and water together in a pan

500g of flour
1/2 tsp salt
175g of lard
200ml of water

Make a well in the flour, then pour the water and fat into the well and mix thoroughly, working to form a paste. Leave to rest for half an hour

Wash and blanch the chard leaves for the Wellington in salted boiling water for 1 minute, then remove and refresh in ice cold water. Drain and dry on absorbent kitchen towel before removing any large fibrous veins from the middle of each leaf

chard, 6 leaves only
salt

Divide the pastry into 6 portions and shape each portion into a square. Roll out the pastry to a 3mm thickness, wide enough to easily cover a portion of the pork. Carefully remove the pork loin from the cling film and cover each piece of pastry with the chard leaves. Lay the pork onto the chard, and wrap the pork in the pastry, ensuring that the edges are completely sealed. Set aside on baking paper until required

Preheat the oven to 190˚C/gas mark 5

To prepare the sauce, roast the reserved bones and scraps of meat in the oven until golden. Place in a stockpot, cover with chicken stock and simmer for 2 hours

1000ml of chicken stock

Pass through a chinois into a clean pan and reduce to a sauce-like consistency. Add the star anise, thyme and sage and set aside to infuse

1 star anise
1 sprig of sage
2 sprigs of thyme

To prepare the cabbage, blanch in salted boiling water, then drain and refresh in cold water

salt
1 savoy cabbage, chiffonade

Place a saucepan over a medium heat and sauté the lardons until they start to crisp up. No oil is required as the fat will render out the bacon. Add the shallots to the pan and cook until soft

100g of bacon lardons
2 banana shallots, finely sliced

Once ready to serve, preheat the deep-fryer to 180°C and cook the Wellingtons for 8 minutes until golden. Add the shallots and bacon to the cabbage and warm through, adding a knob of butter

750ml of vegetable oil, for deep frying
1 knob of butter

Slice the Wellingtons into 3 even pieces, removing the pastry at the ends for a neater finish if desired. Serve with the crackling, purée, sauce and cabbage

First published in 2015

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Emily Watkins

Mother of three and previously chef-owner at The Kingham Plough, Oxfordshire, Emily Watkins has a lot on her proverbial plate. But it hasn’t stopped her from becoming one of Britain’s leading chefs.

Pork loin and black pudding Wellington with Grandpa’s cabbage

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