Side dishes for slow roast pork with orange and cumin

[Squishedpickle]

Hi,
I've got guests coming for dinner at the weekend and plan to serve slow roasted pork with orange and cumin. I'm going to do a side of spinach with pine nuts and raisins as the recipe suggests, but feel like I need another vegetable.

What would you serve with this?

Thanks

I think an Asian style cabbage slaw would work really well with those dishes

You've got some lovely flavours there so I think I nice compliment too those would be a buttery braised white cabbage and Dauphinois potatoes

And the Dauphinois could be made the day before which would be an advantage. 👍

Ooh, that sounds delicious! I love the idea of the braised white cabbage. Personally I'd do spring cabbage fried with caraway seeds and butter, and finished with a bit of tarragon vinegar, to give it a bit of a lift. Or leeks cooked with lemon. I think you need something with a note of sharpness.

Greek style diced roast potatoes with herbs, you could add orange juice/quarters of orange to this to tie in with your pork dish, or you could use the traditional lemon, the lemon flavour is very delicate, not dominant at all.

Green beans a la Greque would also work well, or for something different, a dish of roasted fresh figs (in season now). Keep the figs whole, but slice a cross from the top down about a third on each fruit, and put in a sliver of butter. Pack in a single layer in a roasting dish, allowing two per person. Roast for about fifteen to twenty minutes. These roast figs also go very well with duck.

yep, cabbage or just carrots

Sounds delicious. Can you share the pork recipe please?

Normally with slow cooked pork, I'd do purple cabbage with raisins and mixed spice. TBH- I've never heard of spinach with raisins, but its one I'll try. Some people don't like fruit with savoury meals, so I wouldn't do both though.

I would normally serve at least 4 veg with most meat meals- even if smallish amounts so people have a choice. Unless you know guests really well- some don't like fruit in savoury meals, others don't like X veg etc.

I'd also serve with any mix of the following:

• I add sweet potato in addition to just potato in a dauphinoise
• Steamed carrots/beans/peas/carrots or broccoli
• Or a cauli or broccoli cheese

Creamy mashed potatoes
Carrots with butter and lots of parsley
( or truffle Mac n cheese ❤️ )

Ooh, thank you for all the suggestions!

The recipe for the pork, for those who are interested is here: Slow roast pork with orange and cumin

Dauphinoise sounds delicious, but I'm just wondering if it would be overbearing against the orange and cumin.

I love the idea of roasted figs, think i have a recipe for figs and beetroot floating around somewhere which might be a good shout.

Cabbage sounds a good idea and I'm now wondering about some kind of broccolini too.

@MarmiteCoriander spinach and raisins is a really common tapa in Spain and is absolutely delicious. Definitely recommend trying at some point.

Having read the recipe for the pork (thanks OP) I do agree that dauphinoise if done with lots of garlic like I do, would be overpowering. Maybe a plain mash instead. I'm getting very hungry now 😃

Roast potatoes or Parmentier potatoes would work well with a brassica and maybe just something simple like peas and carrots. Boiled or steamed.

Sounds Cuban-ish, I'd go with mojo, black beans, lime and coriander rice.

I don't think dauphinois potatoes or a gratin vegetable will work well with the pork and orange combination, they might smother the zing of the pork dish.

But if you like the dauphinois idea, potatoes Boulangere is a similar method but made with stock, so it's a much lighter dish, with no heavy creaminess.

Sounds delicious and have saved it to my recipes folder. I wonder if it would work on a slow cooker? I know it won't get the nice crispy bits but it would be slow cooked. I'm trying not to use my oven as much as possible.
I agree with potatoes Boulanger or Mary Berry potato and fennel gratin which is a more rustic version and always cooks well.