Recipe: Rack of pork in ale

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 6-bone loin of pork (approx. 2kg/4 1/2 lb) - ask your butcher for the pork to be French trimmed, skin-scored, chimed and tied with string
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) vegetable oil
• 300 ml (1 pt) light ale
• 100 g (4 oz) clear honey

Marinade

• 4 medium onions, peeled and each cut into 6 wedges
• 150 ml (1/4 pt) stout
• 3 sprigs each of thyme, rosemary, oregano and parsley
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
• 5 ml (1 tsp) ground mace
• 6 cloves
• 2.5 ml ( 1/2 tsp) turmeric
• Sea salt and 12 black peppercorns, lightly crushed

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
   
2. Make the marinade by tossing the onions, stout, herbs, garlic, mace, cloves and turmeric in a large bowl. Season with salt and the crushed black peppercorns.
3. Place the rack of pork in a large, strong food storage bag and pour the onions and marinade mixture over the pork. Seal the bag and leave the pork to marinade in the fridge for 8-12 hours, tossing it occasionally.
4. Heat the oil in a large roasting tray until very hot. Remove the pork from the marinade and fry it all over for a few minutes until golden and sealed. Lift the pork up and pour the onions and marinade and the light ale into the tray. Sit the pork on top, and sprinkle plenty of salt on the skin. Roast in the oven for 1 hour 40 minutes, basting occasionally. Ten minutes before the end of cooking, remove the pork from the oven and drizzle the honey over. Continue to roast for the remaining 10 minutes.
5. Allow the pork to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving, covering with foil to keep warm.
6. Remove any string and carve between each bone into 6 pieces. Serve with the softened onions.