Recipe

Slow-cooked pork neck with cider and pear

Stuffed with the meat of spicy Italian sausages and slowly roasted on a bed of onions, pears and cider, this slow-cooked pork neck is rich, fragrant and absolutely full of flavour.

Jun 30, 2011 2:00pm
  • 6 hrs 30 mins cooking
  • Serves 4
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Ingredients

Slow-cooked pork neck with cider and pear
  • 1 kilogram (2-pound) piece pork neck (scotch fillet roast)
  • 185 gram (6 ounces) italian pork sausages
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/2 cup (70g) coarsely chopped, unsalted roasted shelled pistachios
  • 2 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh sage
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 brown onion (150g), quartered
  • 4 clove garlic, halved
  • 2 unpeeled pears (460g), quartered
  • 2/3 cup (160ml) alcoholic apple cider
  • 6 fresh sage leaves

Method

Slow-cooked pork neck with cider and pear
  • 1
    Place pork on board; slice through thickest part of pork horizontally, without cutting all the way through. Open pork out to form one large piece; trim pork.
  • 2
    Squeeze filling from sausages into small bowl, mix in egg yolk, nuts and chopped sage; season. Press sausage mixture along one long side of pork; roll pork to enclose filling. Tie pork with kitchen string at 2.5cm (1-inch) intervals.
  • 3
    Heat oil in large frying pan; cook pork until browned all over. Remove from pan. Add onion and garlic to same pan; cook, stirring, until onion softens.
  • 4
    Place pears and onion mixture in 4.5-litre (18-cup) slow cooker; top with pork then add cider and sage leaves. Cook, covered, on low, 6 hours.
  • 5
    Serve sliced pork with pear and onion mixture. Sprinkle with extra sage leaves, if you like.

Notes

Italian sausages are coarse pork sausages generally sold in plump links. They are usually flavoured with garlic and fennel seed or anise seed, and come in two styles ­ hot (flavoured with thai red chilli) and sweet (without the added heat). They are available from speciality butchers and delicatessens.

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