Pork fillet with honey and ginger (lonza al miele e zenzero)

This is a really simple way of cooking pork, and the addition of honey and ginger (the unusual ingredient in this recipe) gives the meat a flavoursome kick!

Credit: Tammi Kwok

• serves

  4-6

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  2 hours

• difficulty

  Easy

Dishes using slightly more exotic ingredients are becoming popular in Italy now. People are experimenting with more unusual spices as they become more readily available, especially in cities, probably because this is where immigrants have settled. 

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 100 g pancetta or bacon, roughly chopped
• 800 g pork fillet
• 2 garlic cloves, left whole
• 4 tbsp honey
• 12 g ginger, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 4 baby parsnips, peeled and cut in half
• 4 French shallots, halved or quartered, depending on size
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 300 ml vegetable stock
• freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the pancetta until golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. In the same pan, add the pork and seal on all sides.
3. Now add the garlic, honey and ginger and continue to cook over a medium heat until caramelised.
4. Add the carrot, parsnip, shallot, rosemary, pancetta, stock and black pepper, cover with a lid and cook over a medium to low heat for 30 minutes.
5. Check the vegetables are tender, remove and set aside.
6. Continue to cook the meat until tender and cooked through, about another hour, before removing from the pan and setting aside.
7. Leave the pork fillet to cool slightly, before cutting into thick slices.
8. Return both the vegetables and the pork slices to the pan to heat through before serving.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Dishes using slightly more exotic ingredients are becoming popular in Italy now. People are experimenting with more unusual spices as they become more readily available, especially in cities, probably because this is where immigrants have settled.