pork

stuffing

method

Making your own minced pork like I’ve done here really turns your stuffing into something special. It will give you amazing flavor and texture, and it’s wicked to be able to see everything you’ve got in there. Usually I’d sweat the onions off first, but this year I decided to keep it rough and ready, quick and easy. It’s basically bish, bash, bosh but with a bit of love, care and intelligence.

Preheat your oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5. Blitz the onions in the food processor until finely chopped, then tip into a large bowl. Tear the stale bread into small chunks and whiz into breadcrumbs. Add these to the bowl, then crush and crumble your chestnuts in there too. Tip your diced pork into the food processor with the sage leaves, bacon, a level teaspoon of white pepper and a good pinch of salt. Finely grate in a quarter of the nutmeg, the zest of half a lemon and just 2 or 3 gratings of orange or Clementine zest. Pulse until you’ve got some chunks and some mush, it won’t even take a minute, then tip into the mixing bowl.

Because the pork is raw, you’re committed to seasoning it well so add another pinch of salt and white pepper, then get your clean hands in there and scrunch it all up until well combined.

Take just under half of the stuffing out of the bowl to use for your turkey, then transfer the rest to a lovely earthenware-type dish that you can serve from. Use your hands to break it up and push it about, then flatten it all down. Pop it in the oven to cook for 50 minutes to 1 hour until bubbling and crispy. If you’re doing it as part of your Christmas lunch, you want to get it on about the same time as your spuds.

When done, you can pour away any excess fat before serving if you want to. It will be soft, juicy and succulent on the inside, then gnarly, crispy and chewy on the outside. Delicious.

ingredients

• 2 large onions, peeled and quartered
• 50g stale bread
• 200g vac-packed chestnuts
• 1kg shoulder of pork, the best quality you can afford, trimmed and diced
• a bunch of fresh sage, leaves picked
• 3 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, the best quality you can afford, roughly chopped
• freshly ground white pepper
• sea salt
• 1 fresh whole nutmeg, for grating
• 1 lemon
• 1 orange or clementine

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tried this recipe or a similar one? share your tips...

1. by Claire on Wed 21 Dec 2011 @ 11:00

Does anybody know how many people this recipe should serve roughly? Thanks

2. by Mels20 on Wed 21 Dec 2011 @ 10:30

If your meat is fresh not Pre frozen then I would freeze uncooked, but if your meat has been previously frozen I would cook then freeze. In my opinion this is what I would do, although you'll probably get a better result freezing it uncooked it may get soggy reheated.

3. by jack on Tue 20 Dec 2011 @ 19:06

I would personally prepare until ready to cook and then freeze it, allowing you to take it out on xmas day, maybe take it out of the freezer into the fridge the day before for defrosting, then cook at the last minute! good luck!

4. by Sandra on Tue 20 Dec 2011 @ 17:28

I would also like to know if I can freeze it. I have 24 people on the 25th, two turkey....I cannot be making this at the last minute. Love your recipes Jamie! You're the man!

5. by Rob on Tue 20 Dec 2011 @ 13:25

Cant see any answers to the freezing question. Hmm to freeze pre-cooked or not to freeze that is the question :-)

6. by Jo on Mon 19 Dec 2011 @ 14:04

Hi, I also would like to know if you can prepare this early and freeze for the big day? If so would I freeze before or after cooking? Really do not want to poison my guests!!

7. by Anna on Sun 18 Dec 2011 @ 00:10

I'd like to try this recipe, but one of my guests does not eat pork (religious reasons). I wonder...can I substitute minced turkey (say, dark meat) or chicken thigh meat for the pork? Also, could I substitute the great quality bacon for a turkey bacon? I know...I know...it's not silk anymore...not even a sow's ear with no pork or bacon, but whatdaya think anyone out there?

8. by joanna on Sat 17 Dec 2011 @ 16:37

want to make this in advance if poss, can i freeze it once completly cooked or can i freeze it uncooked ?

9. by IRENE on Thu 15 Dec 2011 @ 12:45

I will like to know if I need to cook the stuffing first, before I FREEZE it.

10. by kristina on Mon 05 Dec 2011 @ 20:49

WOWZERS...... I made a 'cheap cheat' version of this today. Using cheapish bacon, pork sauasemeat and DRIED nutmeg. I also minused the lemon and clementine ( purely because i didn't have 'em) and it STILL tunred out delicious!! I would however reccomend NOT shuvin' the minced pork/ sausage meat into processor it all together as i did. I found it easier to wizz up the sage and bacon first THEN adding sausagmeat? Will definately go the 'whole hog' with this recipe for crimbo, and what a great dish to freeze a couple of weeks ahead of crimbo.... one less thing to worry about on xmas day!!!

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