A blast from the past, when pickled or corned meats were commonplace because of their keeping qualities. Pickled pork is moist, easy to carve and a very economical cut, ideal to have in the fridge for picnics and sandwiches. Cook the pork in a well-scented stock for best results.

Ingredients

• 1-1.5 kg piece pickled pork
• ½ cup apple, maple or golden syrup
• pared rind of 1 orange, optional
• 6-8 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• autumn potato salad (see recipe on our website)

Method

1. Take note of the weight of the pork to calculate the cooking time.
2. Place the pickled pork in a large saucepan. Add the syrup, orange rind, if using, cloves and bay leaf. Cover with cold water.
3. Place over a low heat and bring very slowly to the boil. Skim off any scum that rises to the top then lower the temperature.
4. Simmer very gently, allowing 50 minutes' cooking time per 500 grams, plus an extra 20 minutes' cooking time.
5. Remove the pork from the hot liquid, cover and set aside to cool before refrigerating. Discard liquid.
6. Serve pork cold, thinly sliced with autumn potato salad or in sandwiches.

Cooks Tips

- Apple syrup is prepared from boiled-down fresh apple juice. This very Kiwi syrup is ideal with pork, ham or bacon. - Simmer gently to ensure the pork is tender. Boiling will result in a touch piece of meat that will shrink more during cooking. The water should just murmur when simmering.