Extreme Potjie. Because half measure isn't an ingredient.

Pork and Mustard Bread Potjie

Posted by

Credit to PotjiejosWorld dot com (we'd put a link in but freakin' Posterous has some major bugs and cannot get the link and the word credit to work together - go figure). Visit them though, they're rad.

This was one of the most unique potjie recipes we've ever come across. And we learned some valuable lessons. Like, don't try this with Eisbein. Fatty globular mess of crap that we had to haul out at the end. Pork rib or Pork neck = rocking. The flavour was incredible - and that mustard bread - genius! The lads and lasses at Potjiekos World really know what they're talking about. And they have pretty pictures of South African face painting all over the place. Ag, we like 'em. 

The recipe called for peas. We didn't try those because Potjie Master Danie Kotzee is a big pea wimp. But we reckon peas would be an awesome addition. We also upped on the lemon and tweaked some stuff about the bread.

INGREDIENTS
4 rashers rindless bacon, cut into pieces
1 kg boneless thick rib of pork, cubed
2 medium onions, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
350 ml beer
125 ml meat stock
1 bay leaf
5 ml salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Rind from 3/4 of a lemon
30 ml lemon juice
250 ml fresh or frozen peas

MUSTARD BREAD
10 chunky slices of french loaf
Butter
Full jar of prepared French mustard (Dijon, even Hot English works)

METHOD

1  Fry bacon in potjie until crisp. Add meat a few pieces at a time and brown.

2  Add onion and sauté until transparent. Add carrots and celery and sauté lightly.

3  Add beer, stock, bay leaf and seasoning. Cover with lid and simmer for 1.5 – 2 hours or until meat is tender.
4  Season with lemon rind and juice. Add peas and simmer a further 5 minutes.
5  Meanwhile, blend butter and mustard together and spread on bread. Place butter-side up on top of meat. Replace lid and simmer for another 10 minutes until the juices have soaked into the bread.
6.  Do NOT stir
Serves: 6. Cooking Time: 2.5 to 3 hours. WARNING: Mustard Bread will dazzle friends and woo ladies.

Pork-mustard-bread-potjie

Pork, Prune and Oyster Potjie

Posted by

First of all, recipe credit to PotjieKosKing. We didn't change it much, just increased some volumes and added one or two things in, removed one or two things. OK, so we changed it a bit. But the essence remains and credit goes where credit is due. 

Now. Listen. You're going to feel a little odd about the oysters. Go with it. They add this weird but awesome saltiness to the potjie. The recipe looks pretty complicated, but asides from about 35 min prep - it's actually one of the easier ones.


Ingredients:

2 kg of pork fillet, preferably in 4 or 6 big chunks 
Packet of prunes, depipped 
Tin of smoked oysters
16 Baby onions
8 Celery sticks, chopped up
16 Baby potatoes
12-16 baby marrows, chopped up chunky
3 tablespoons Butter
50ml Cooking oil
15ml Cake flour
450ml Beef stock
450ml Red wine
Salt to taste
5ml Black pepper
16 dumplings (buy bread dough, make snooker sized balls with flour to stop 'em sticking)
Cous Cous

Method: 

1  Butterfly the pork fillet. Stuff the oysters inside the prunes. Stuff the prunes inside the fillet. Stuff the stuffed fillet inside another fillet (think about it!). Wrap string around it nice and toight. 

2  Oil and butter in the pot over a nice consistent heat. Brown the stuffed fillet. Take it out. Dust it in flour. Put it back in, brown again for about 2 minutes.

3  Add the stock and red wine. Pour some salt and pepper on the top of the meat. Let that bubble for 2 hours. Listen for the gurgle, keep the heat consistent.

4  Add all the veg. Add the dumplings on top of the veg. Let is bubble for another 2 hours.

5  Make the cous cous.

6  Here's how we served it up. Potjie pot in the middle of the table. Everyone dishes up some cous cous, veg, dumplings and sauce. By that time you'll be nearer the bottom of the pot where you can retrieve the pork bundles with some braai tongs. Remove the string and carve them like a roast and let everyone add that to their plate. Warning, the meat will be so soft that it's going to feel a little like shredded pork. No matter - tastier that way! 

Holy dumplings, Batman! That is one of the most unique and interesting potjie tastes I've ever had. Impress your friends and family. Woo your lady/ladies. It'll serve 8 easily. Let us know how it goes!

(download)