belly pork rip off! what price do you pay? (plus recipe needed)

[sowhatshallido]

Hi!

I went into Morrisons yesterday, thinking i would buy belly pork, because on the thread about great ribs, it was talked about - I couldnt believe how comparatively dear it is!

It must be the tv chefs making it more popular so more expensive.

For 600g of belly pork it was £2.50, and the pork tenderloin was £2.95 for the same weight.

I bought the pork tenderloin because I had always had the impression it was a nice, but too dear for me to buy, cut of meat - now, I dont know what the hell to do with it.

You lovely mn people who love food, please tell me!!

Also - what would you expect to pay for belly pork?? (and where from - local butcher or A N OTHER supermarket, and which one?

I am getting out of my lazy bed now, and will check in later for hopefully some pearls of wisdom!

Oooh there's lots of lovely things to do with the tenderloin.

This Delia one is delicious, but I use sage instead of parsley.

Or you could make a Pork Saltimbocca

Cut the tenderloin into 1-2cm slices. Put each slice between two sheets of cling film and flatten to escalopes. Lay a sage leaf or two on each and then a slice of serrano ham and secure with cocktail stick. Lightly coat in seasoned flour. Melt some butter and olive oil, fry for a couple of minutes on each side and put to one side to keep warm. Add a good glug of marsala wine to pan to deglaze and there's your sauce. Lovely with rosemary and garlic sauté potatoes and some spinach.

With regard to the Pork Belly - I would get mine from the local butcher rather than the supermarket. I don't know the costs there as I live abroad, but it always was a great and cheap cut to have???

I have a lovely easy Bill Granger recipe for Pork Belly.

Score skin and rub with lots of sea salt.
Put rind of one orange (peeled with potato peeler), 3 bay leaves and 4 squashed cloves of garlic in a roasting dish (line with baking paper first). Put pork belly on top. Add about 1cm of cold water.

Roast at 140c for 3 hours (for a 900g piece of meat), then increase temp to 220c for 20-30 mins until rind is crispy. Remove from oven, loosely cover with foil and rest for 15mins before carving. Yummo.

there's a good one in the jamie 30 minute meals with apples and a delicious creamy bacon sauce, served with celariac mash i think. yum yum