Chop, Roll and Tie!

Involtini die Maiale con Miele, Salvia, Mele e Insalata di Cavolo Rapa

Pork Rolls with Honey, Apple & Sage & Kohlrabi Slaw

Yes, this little dish was made using those exact three disciplines but it was quick and easy and we like that, right?! I used a purple kohlrabi to make the slaw from it turned out really great too... what a fun, delicious and inexpensive treat this turned out to be!

The other great thing was that this whole little meal got made using just one small frying pan and one cutting board- minimum hassle for maximum effect! It's Summertime and that doesn't mean you have to grill everything outdoors so as not ending up in front of your stoves for ages- there are plenty of quick and creative dishes you can rustle up in no time... like this one!

For the slaw, I simply chopped the kohlrabi as finely as possible- half a kohlrabi and quarter of a red onion. You could also grate the ingredients, but I found the texture to be much nicer this way. I sprinkled the ingredients with salt, pepper and a little sugar, added the juice of half of a lime and a drizzle of sesame oil. And in the time it took to make the little rolls of pork... it was delicious and ready to go!

The pork I used was simply 2 slices of tenderloin, which I brined breifly for 20-30 minutes in a cupful of water, a tablespoon of salt, half a teaspoon of sugar, some crushed garlic and the juice of half a lime.

Once the meat was marinated, I patted it dry with kitchen roll and spread it generously with Dijon mustard. I then grated a little apple on top and covered that with sage leaves, before rolling the pork up. Rather than using a skewer or cocktail stick, I decided to tie the rolls up with a couple of chives... clever, easy and edible too!

I fried the rolls in a tiny pat of clarified butter- they soon started to produce juices of their own anyway. Once they were lightly browned on all sides, the pan had begun to look a little dry- which is when I simply added a tiny splash of water. You could use wine of course- but I didn't have any handy and hey- this worked just fine! The reason I added this was to a.) pick up all of the good flavor that was burned onto the pan, b.) the wonderful color! and c.) to add a little moisture to the pork and to finish cooking it through to the center of the roll. I added a light drizzle of honey and by the time that little bit of liquid had evaporated and the pork was gloriously golden, succulent and juicy!

And dinner was served!