The classic combination of pork, apple and Samuel Smith’s Organic Cider in this dish makes for a very special and particularly delicious roast. The sharpness of the apple and the cider cuts through the deep flavour of the pork. Samuel Smith’s Organic Cider is made with organically grown apples, is medium dry with a light body and a clean apple flavour and a gentle apple blossom finish.

Ingredients

  • 1.8kg /4lb piece of rolled and tied pork loin with the skin scored
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • small bunch rosemary
  • 3 bay leaves, torn
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 1 cooking apple, peeled, quartered, cored and roughly sliced
  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 100ml /3fl oz cider
  • 500ml / 1pint vegetable or chicken stock

Method

  1. Rub the salt into the pork skin 2 hours before cooking and leave it uncovered in the fridge. Heat the oven to 230C/210C fan/gas 8. Turn the pork rind-side down and with a small knife make about 6 deep incisions along the meat. Poke a sliver of garlic, a piece of rosemary and bay in each incision and turn the pork the right way up.
  2. Mix the carrot, onion and apple and scatter this mixture along the middle of a roasting tray that’s sturdy enough to also go on the hob, making a bed for the pork to sit on. Place the pork on the vegetables and rub oil into the skin. Place the pork in the oven and leave it in there for 15 mins then turn the heat down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and continue to roast for 1hr 30 mins. If required, turn the heat up again and check every 5 mins until the skin has crackled.
  3. Remove the pork from the roasting tray and place on a board to let it rest. Pour off all but about 2 tbsp of fat from the tray. Place the tray on the heat. Stir the flour in with the veg and cook until you have a thick, dark amber paste, then splash in the Samuel Smiths Organic Cider and cook down to a thick paste again. Pour in the stock and simmer everything for 8-10 mins until you have a thickened gravy. Strain the sauce into another saucepan pushing as much puréed apple as you can through the sieve. Simmer again and season to taste.
  4. Carve the pork and crackling into slices and serve with fresh vegetables, roast or mashed potatoes and lots of apple and cider gravy poured over.

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