Guest Post: The Creative Pot with Pork with Spiced Berry Pinotage Sauce

Hi! As I have mentioned, while I'm away on holiday, some of my lovely blog and twitter friends have offered to guest post for me! Blown away by this amazing offer, I've given them pretty much free reign to write what they like, and just LOOK at what they've come up with! 

Here's Marisa from The Creative Pot with something amazing, just for you. Take it away! 

Confession: I have some berry-related issues. It's weird, I know (and completely un-foodie like of me), but I can't stand the thought of pulverised berries. Berry coulis in dessert? Pass. And don't even get me started on berry jam. I'm fine with the whole berries, but then they need to be fresh and unabashedly firm. No, none of this mushy berry business for me. 

So I was a bit taken aback when the idea of pairing pork with a berry sauce started creeping into my thoughts. And refused to back down out of respect for my berry issues. My loud lamentations to TheHusband didn’t work either (he does not share my berry prejudice). And so I was forced to make this rather hideous looking berry pinotage sauce, infuse it with spices (star anise is a firm favourite of mine) and pour it over some succulent pork neck steaks. *Sigh* The things I do in the name of food. 

Despite my deep seated berry issues though, this tasted phenomenal and I found myself grinning with delight at the end of the meal, berry sauce splattered all over my front, plate and table. I am many things, but orderly is not one of them. Might be time to re-evaluate my berry-ist views though...

Pork with Spiced Berry Pinotage Sauce

Ingredients:

1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil

800g pork neck steaks

salt to taste

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups assorted berries

1 apple, chopped

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup pinotage (or red wine of your choice)

3 tbsp sugar

5 cloves

2 star anise

1/4 tsp crushed peppercorns

Method:

1. Heat  a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the pork neck steaks and fry briefly on each side to brown. Season with salt and set aside. 
2. Heat the remaining olive oil in the pan, lower heat slightly and saute the onions for 5 - 7 minutes or until soft. 
3. Add berries, apple, water, pinotage, sugar cloves, star anise and peppercorns, bring to the boil, then lower heat and cook for 30 minutes. The liquid will have reduced considerably and the sauce will be very fragrant. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. Spread pork steaks into an ovenproof casserole dish and spoon the berry sauce on top. Place in the oven at 180C for around 20 minutes or until the pork is cooked through. 
5. Serve with roasted butternut, polenta or mashed potatoes. 

If you enjoyed this, you might want to visit me over at The Creative Pot, subscribe to my feed or come join in the banter on twitter.