Braised Pork and Lentils

Photo: flickr user Lamerie

Ingredients

500 grams boned pork belly cut into large cubes

50 grams lardo or pancetta diced

6 spicy sausages

2 mediums onions roughly chopped

4 clv garlic chopped

1 few herbs thyme bay etc

150 grams brown or green lentils

300 ml stock or water

1 handf chopped parsley leaves

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C/325 degrees F/gas mark 4.

In a large casserole over a moderate to high heat cook the cubes of lardo until they give off enough melted fat in which to fry the pork.

When this is hot add the cubed pork leaving it to colour lightly.

Stir occasionally. (You might find it best to do this in small quantities removing each batch as it turns golden.)

Brown the sausages lightly and set aside.

Cook the onions and garlic with a couple of bay leaves and sprigs of thyme if you have them until soft and golden about 10 to 15 minutes on a moderate heat.

Add a little more fat if needed.

Put the pork and sausages in with the onions and herbs and season with salt and black pepper. Cover tightly with a lid and cook in the oven for half an hour.

Rinse the lentils and add to the pot with the stock or water.

Return to the oven covered and cook for about 40 minutes until the meat and lentils are tender. Remove from the oven stir and check for seasoning: it will need salt pepper and possibly a squeeze of lemon.

For once a heavy scattering of parsley would not go amiss.

Serve with steamed or sauteed potatoes.

Serves 2