ROASTED PORK SLICES

Good Morning to you,

"Wild thing,

You make my heart sing,

You make everything groovy,

Wild thing."

The Troggs

Do you remember the song, Wild Thing, by The Troggs?  I remember listening to this record as a teenager and loving it.  I loved the name of the band.... The Troggs, it was so very different and they used words like groovy, which I thought was cool, ace and fab.

.... but that was in the 1960's, when these words were familiar to me. 

Now I am older, I do wonder if Ivy and Gramps understood what I was saying when I used the words, "ace" or "groovy" when I was talking to them. Did they smile, pretending to understand what I was saying. I do wonder.

Time has moved on, and the world has turned, and it is now my turn to hear new words and abbreviations and not understand their meaning.

 I remember not so long ago when the abbreviation "lol" meant "Lots of love" and I kept seeing "lol" at the end of sentences, but my version of "lol" did not make sense and then, I discovered it meant "laugh out loud".  When did that happen, I missed the boat on that one.

If I am sent a text by one of the younger members of the family, I often cannot understand it, as there are so many abbreviations to words.  It takes me so long to work out the abbreviations, that I almost give up the ghost..... but I do persevere and get there in the end, but it takes quite a long time. Danielle finds it funny that I use the correct word in my texts..... such as "you" and not "u".... do you know I just cannot do it, I cannot abbreviate the word as I need to know what I am talking about and if I abbreviated the word, I would be totally confused.

.... and when did the word "sic" (sick) change it's meaning.  I always thought sick  meant you were ill, but apparently not,  now it means great or fabulous.

I heard the word "dope" on a television programme the other day.  I always thought the word dope referred to drugs, but apparently not, now it also means, great or fabulous (do you see, I am using the words I feel comfortable with). 

When did I become out of step with the changing world?

I'll tell you when it happened.... when Natasha and Danielle left home to build their own lives.  When our girls lived at home, the house was always busy, there were always youngsters in and out of the house, so I would hear the words of the day and if I did not understand them, then I would ask, but the years have gone by, and the house is not full of youngsters anymore, so there is no one to guide me through the maze of change. I think, in the future, communication could become very interesting for me. I wonder, will I smile, pretending to understand what is being said to me.... yes, I do believe I will.

.... but you will have no such problem today, when I tell you what I am making..... you will understand what I am saying,

when I say, I am making Roasted Pork Slices.  I am making these for George as he loves them.  

So it's on with the pinnie and the music I am playing at the moment is,

Gordon Haskell.  Listen to "How Wonderful You Are" and "All the Time in the World" and "There Goes My Heart Again".  I have chosen this album because Phyllis is coming to stay for Easter and she dances around the kitchen when I play this album.

So whilst  I am listening to "There Goes My Heart Again" I am gathering my ingredients,

INGREDIENTS

1 kg Pork Belly Slices

1 onion

4 tablespoonfuls of tomato ketchup

4 tablespoonfuls of dark soy sauce

1 teaspoonful of chilli flakes

3 star anise

2 sticks of cinnamon

2 tablespoonfuls of sunflower oil

2 tablespoonfuls of white wine vinegar

5 tablespoons of sweet chilli sauce

HOW TO MAKE

ROASTED PORK SLICES

THE MARINADE

Peel and slice the onion

and set aside.

Place the star anise, chilli flakes

and

cinnamon sticks in a bowl

and

add

2 tablespoonfuls of sunflower oil,

2 tablespoonfuls of white wine vinegar,

4 tablespoonfuls of dark soy sauce

plus

4 tablespoonfuls of tomato ketchup

and

mix together

Place the Pork slices into a dish

and

cover with the sliced onions

then

add the marinade.

Cover with clingfilm and 

leave to marinate for at least 4 hours,

but preferably overnight.

Heat the oven to 200C.

Remove the clingfilm 

and

spoon 5 tablespoonfuls of sweet chilli sauce

over the pork.

( I use a silicone pastry brush to evenly distribute the sauce)

Place in the pre-heated oven and cook for 45 minutes

then remove from the oven

and 

turn the pork slices.

After the first turning, turn the pork slices every

30 minutes, but towards the end of the cooking time,

keep turning and checking 

as the sugar in the sweet chilli sauce

has a tendency to burn.

The slices took 2 hours to cook in

my oven, but the timings might be
different in yours.

You want the pork slices to be 

a rich brown colour,

but not burnt.

When the pork slices are cooked, remember to remove the
cinnamon sticks and star anise.

I'll tell you a little secret, I have been known
to forget all about the star anise and not realise
I have, until I see the look on George's face when
he has bitten into one.  Then I realise what I have done.

To create a little more heat,

 I added Wasabi covered peas to the plate.

Now, I have to tell you, this was a difficult dish to photograph, not because of what the pork slices looked like, but because they were pork slices and George loves them.  I had to get them photographed very quickly, before George realised they were cooked, but the smell of the cooking kept bringing him into the kitchen, asking if they were ready.  I snookered him though, because my camera was ready, the plate was in position and the Wasabi peas were in a dish ready to put onto the plate. So the final time he popped into the kitchen to ask if the pork slices were ready, I told a little fib and said they were still cooking.  The moment he left the kitchen, I whipped them out of the oven, displayed them on the plate, added the Wasabi peas and had a few minutes to take my photographs.... it was a rush, because the pork slices still had to be hot for George to enjoy them.... and what about telling the fib....well,  I decided George could not have eaten the pork slices straight from the oven, as they would have been too hot, but I also know he would have tried, so really, I was saving him from himself....   don't you agree?

George's face beamed when I presented him  with the pork slices, he was very happy indeed and none the wiser about the time delay.

Oh yes, just as a little note before I go,  I spoke to Phyllis about my use of teenage slang and she said, Ivy and Gramps had no problem understanding me, because I was not allowed to use teenage slang when I visited them, I had to use my manners and speak correctly. So that solves that, when Ivy and Gramps smiled..... they really did know what I was talking about.

Take care and I will see you on Sunday.

This week I will be joining,

Miz Helen's Country Cottage for Full Plate Thursday

and

Anyonita Nibbles for Get Him Fed Friday