National award haul for Redhill Farm 07 Nov
Redhill Farm were delighted with their scoop of national Great Taste Awards this year. Renowned as the world's most coveted food awards and regarded as the 'Fine Food Oscars' - this year's results mean Redhill Farm have won Gold consistently for 12 years since first entering. Over 10,000 entries are blind-tasted by 500 judges selected from the UK's most respected food critics, chefs, food writers, producers and restaurateurs and for a product to win an award it has to be deemed faultless.
A 2* Gold award for Lincolnshire Haslet was the icing on the cake for Jane Tomlinson, Redhill Farm MD, who was over the moon with glowing judges' comments: "An interesting honest dish with excellent seasoning. Well flavoured meat, balanced beautifully with a pleasant level of fat. We thoroughly enjoyed this stunning example." Redhill Farm's Lincolnshire Haslet will feature in the Great Taste Book 2016/17 and as this unique product is little known outside of the county, national attention is most welcome to raise the profile of a Lincolnshire speciality.
2* Gold Lincolnshire Haslet
2* Gold Free Range Pork Shoulder
2* Gold Free Range Pork Belly
1* Gold Oak Smoked Ham Hock
1* Gold Free Range Pork Loin
Contributed by Redhill Farm Free Range Pork Ltd
At the Lincolnshire Food & Gift Fair this year we will be showcasing our award-winning Redhill Farm free range pork that is available from our Farm Shop and from our stall at farmer's markets around the county. We will be taking orders from customers for Christmas and after we were highlighted as one of food writer Tom Parker-Bowles' 'Festive Food Picks' for 2015 we will be featuring our own festive top-buys, including our delicious free range pork pies, hams, sausages and haslet. We love talking pork, so we're delighted to offer help and advice with planning festive meals and placing orders. All Christmas orders are for collection from the shop on the farm where, alongside our own tasty free range pork, you'll find the highest quality roasting birds we can find locally, a range of Lincolnshire food and drink, condiments and lovely gift ideas.
Don't miss Redhill Farm's very own Jane Tomlinson demonstrating in The Lincolnshire Kitchen on Saturday 26 November - she'll be showing how to bake and glaze the perfect Christmas ham, so please join us for some festive cooking tips!
Redhill Farm Roast Pork Crackling Masterclass
You'll need
- A loin or leg of Redhill Farm free range pork
- Vegetable or olive oil
- Sea salt
What to do
Top tip: The most important part of good crackling starts with the type of pork you buy - you won't get good crackling from processed, cling film wrapped joints - our pork has been hung for a few days before being cut into fresh joints to ensure that the skin will be firmer and drier.
- The joint will be scored but for this masterclass it's essential to add extra grooves where you can. Using the point of a sharp paring knife make long, even lines through the skin halfway into the fat - don't go right down into the meat as this will dry out the meat during cooking.
- Pour a small amount of cooking oil into the palm of your hand and rub this all over the surface and into the scored lines. It should only be enough to moisten the surface for the salt to stick.
- Rub crushed sea salt all over the joint, making sure you rub enough into the grooves as this will create 'bubbling up' of the crackling later.
- Roast the joint in a roasting tin with space for air to circulate. Do not put anything round the joint or any foil on top and never baste it, just leave it to crackle on its own.
- It needs a high heat for the first 20 minutes, 470°F/240°C/Gas 9/top of oven AGA, then turn down the heat for the rest of cooking for 25 minutes/lb at 375°F/190°C/Gas 5/middle of top oven AGA. Top tip from the chef: I always use a meat thermometer - when it gets to 70°C core temperature it's done, you can then get the crackling the exact colour you want by leaving it in a little longer if it needs it!
Redhill Farm Wrapped Pork Fillet
Serves 4
You'll need
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- String
- 1 large pack Oak Smoked Streaky Bacon
- 250g sausage meat
- 1 large pork fillet
What to do
- Trim the rind off the bacon. Lay out the strips of bacon on the work surface, one below the other just slightly overlapping to make a sheet of bacon. Spread the sausage meat thinly over the bacon sheet using your fingers to make sure it is evenly spread.
- Take the pork fillet and lay it from top to bottom down the left hand side of the sausage meat and bacon sheet. Roll the fillet up, making sure the joint where the bacon overlaps ends up underneath the rolled fillet.
- Take the sprig of rosemary and lay on top. Tie the string around the wrapped fillet in four places, equally spaced, knotting it at the side just to prevent the bacon from unwrapping during cooking.
- Place in a shallow roasting pan. Cook at 375°F/190°C/Gas 5/middle shelf AGA for approximately 40 minutes.
If you decide to give these recipes a go at home, why not send us a picture on twitter @lincsshowground, or tag us on Instagram @showglincs?
