Pork Steaks with Gin & Coriander Sauce

Pork Steaks with Gin & Coriander Sauce

• 2 juniper berries
• 4 tbsp Blackdown Sussex Dry Gin, warmed
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 x 175g/6oz thick, boneless pork steaks
• 150ml cloudy apple juice
• 4 tbsp crème fraiche

Method:

Crush the juniper berries coarsely using a pestle and mortar (if you don’t have one, cover them in a tea towel and give a good whacking with a rolling pin!).  Warm the gin in a small pan, add the berries and leave to soak for 20 minutes.  Trim the pork, leave on a little fat for flavour and to keep the steak moist.  Drain the berries, reserving the gin for later.

In a mini blender or using a pestle and mortar, pound the garlic, rosemary and coriander seeds with the juniper berries and 2 tbsp olive oil.  Spread the mixture over the pork, cover and marinate for as long as possibly (preferably overnight if you can).

Heat the remaining oil in a small non-stick frying pan until very hot.  Add the pork and cook quickly on both sides until golden.  Pour in the gin – boil fast until it disappears or set light to it (carefully) and let the flames burn down – this cooks off the alcohol so you are not left with the alcoholic taste.  Pour in the apple juice.  Scrape the pan to loosen any sticky bits and bring to the boil.

Half cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes until the pork is cooked and the sauce is reduced but not too thick.  Remove the pork to a warm plate.  Swirl through the crème fraiche into the sauce.  Bring back to the boil and boil rapidly for 1-2 minutes until it’s syrupy, then season to taste.  I served the steaks with a good helping of mustard mash, carrots and savoy cabbage.

As we are heading into Autumn this recipe is perfect for this time of year, especially for a Sunday lunch with family and friends.  As one of the key ingredients in this recipe are juniper berries, I chose Blackdown Sussex Dry Gin which contains 11 botanicals, one of which is also juniper, this really brings the sauce to life, as you can imagine, with that amount of botanicals, the sauce is packed full of flavour, trust me, you wont be disappointed! 

Blackdown Artisan Spirits can be found nestled within the foothills of the Blackdown Hills, West Sussex, where they are surrounded by the beautiful South Downs National Park.  They produce a number of spirits which are each produced in small batches using selected ingredients sourced from local and English producers.  They combine age old traditions with a unique modern taste of the English countryside.  As well as gin, they also produce a silver birch vermouth (which I hope to be cooking with soon!), silver birch vodka and a blackcherry liqueur.  All of these products can be purchased via www.blackdowncellar.co.uk

This recipe is courtesy of Good Food Magazine.