Pork, Leeks, and Green Peppercorns
To our list of ingredients that balance the leek’s (and onion’s) tendency toward sweetness, we can add green peppercorns. Outside the anise-scented emporiums of Chinatown they are difficult to track down in their fresh state, but bottled ones in brine are perhaps even better here. Deep-winter stuff, this. Some fresh, crisp greens might be appropriate with it, some winter salad leaves or maybe a plate of lightly cooked spinach. Whatever, I do recommend some plain, steamed potatoes to balance the general richness. Green peppercorns in brine are available in cans or bottles from well-stocked specialty markets and delicatessens.
Recipe information
Yield
enough for 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Trim the leeks, discarding the dark, outer leaves. Slice the leeks about 3/4 inch (2cm) wide and wash thoroughly. Warm the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot, add the leeks, then cover with a lid and let cook slowly for ten to fifteen minutes. You want them to end up bright and almost tender but without color. Lift them out and set aside.
Step 2
Return the pan to the heat, let it get a little hot, then add the pork. Let it color lightly on all sides, then remove and add it to the leeks.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Cut the mushrooms into halves or quarters, then fry them in the pot until they are golden and slightly sticky. Add a little extra butter if they need it. Return the leeks and pork to the pot, scatter over the flour, and let cook for a minute or so. Slowly pour in the hot stock. Stir in the bay leaves and a grinding of salt and black pepper. Bring slowly to a boil, then cover with a lid, and transfer to the oven. Leave for fifty to sixty minutes to cook its way quietly to tenderness.
Step 4
Chop the parsley and stir it into the pot with the peppercorns and cream, then either return it to the oven for five minutes or heat through on the stove. Check the seasoning and serve with steamed, unbuttered potatoes (see facing page).
