LET'S GRAB SOME TAKEOUT FROM DEAN AND DELUCA

Very often food, as in life, is at its best when kept simple. Not having anything particular in mind today I hopped on a tube to Borough Market to brave the Friday lunchtime hordes and find something nice for tea. First stop Northfield Farm. The pork looked particulary good so I got a thick cut chop of Gloucester Old Spot. Swerving niftily around the hundreds of baby buggies in the area I went long on pork with a selection of Polish sausage from the fantastic Topolski. After DH’s visit to Brussels I had a notion for some Cantillon so I ducked into Utobeer and scored a bottle of Catillon’s Rose de Gambrinus (the patron saint of beer). A quick double espresso at Monmouth Coffee and then back to work but not before picking up some of Flour Power’s superb cheese straws and on impulse a lovely looking and smelling fresh bread-roll.

So eventually the grind was over and I got home. The oven went on and a stiff drink prepared. I seasoned the chop and poked in some sage here and there. I stood the chop upright so there would be some cripiness in all the right places and put it in the oven for about 20 mins. Some Bramley’s went in a pan for an impromptu apple sauce.

When the chop was done I rested it then split the bread roll and rubbed the halves in the pork juices. I slathered one half in Dijon mustard and layered seasoned slices of the pork (including some of the fat) with some of the tart apple sauce. I topped the whole with some of the hot, crispy crackling. The best pork roll ever, pefectly complemented by the very tart lambic. A very good start to le weekend.