I bought a cream bun and had it with a cup of coffee. It was lovely. The cream was light and not too sweet. The strawberry jam was also nice.
Lunch
I made a steak sandwich with some white sourdough bread, which I’d lightly toasted. I also added chunks of butter to some lightly toasted sourdough “croutons.” For contrast, I chomped on a pickled gherkin, too.
[i] A cured pork shoulder hock is a cut of pork taken from the he pig’s foreleg (the hock), that has been preserved and flavoured through curing—typically with salt, sugar, and sometimes spices. It’s known for its flavour and gelatinous texture, often used to add depth to soups, stews, beans, and braised dishes.
[ii]Speck is a type of cured, lightly smoked ham from the South Tyrol region of northern Italy. It’s made from pork leg, seasoned with spices like juniper and bay leaves, then smoked and aged in mountain air, giving it a distinctive savory, smoky flavour.
[iii] In Australian slang, “mornos” means morning tea—a mid-morning break, usually around 10–11 am, where people pause for a snack, a cuppa, or a chat. When working with ADF colleagues, the word “mornos” is commonly used.
Tonight’s dish is a breakfast fry-up. It has a twist: pork rashers grilled on the Weber Q+ instead of bacon. It also had eggs fried in butter, crispy potato gems, and a generous slice of black pudding. It’s rich, satisfying, and meaty.
Microsoft Copilot generated image of me with a plate of barbecued pork rashers and black pudding, eggs fried in butter, and potato gems fried in beef fat.
🍳 The Recipe: A Breakfast Fry-Up for Dinner
Ingredients (Serves 1)
Pork rashers (400 g at $AUD23/kg)
2 eggs
2 tbsp salted butter
4 slices of black pudding
1 cup potato gems (frozen)
Beef fat
Salt and pepper to taste
Equipment
Weber Q+ barbecue grill
Frying pan (cast iron preferred)
Tongs and a spatula
Baking tray (for potato gems)
Plate and paper towel (for resting meat)
🔥 Methodology
Prep the Weber Q+ Fire up the Weber Q+ and preheat to medium-high with the hotplate in place. You want a good sizzle when the rashers hit.
Cook the pork rashers Lay the rashers on the hotplate and cook for 4–5 minutes on each side, until the fat renders and the edges crisp. Rest them on a paper towel-lined plate.
Potato gems Cook the potato gems in the Weber Q+ with the lid closed for 20 minutes, turning halfway. You want them golden and crunchy.
Black pudding Grill the black pudding slices on the Weber for 2–3 minutes each side. They should be warmed through with a slight crust.
Fry the eggs In a hot pan, melt the butter and crack in the eggs. Fry until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Season with salt and pepper.
Plate up Arrange the pork rashers, black pudding, potato gems, and eggs on a warm plate. Serve immediately.
🧠 Thoughts on the Meal
This dinner is delicious. The pork rashers bring fatty goodness, especially when grilled to perfection. The black pudding adds a deep, earthy richness that pairs with the egg yolk. Potato gems offer crunch; the eggs, fried in butter, are the glue that ties it all together.
Black pudding is not easy to find and not commonly eaten in Australia. I first tried it when I was in London for work many years ago. I was delighted to see my butcher stocked locally made black pudding.
It’s not light fare, but it’s deeply satisfying. Perfect for a night when you want comfort food.
📸 Photography Notes
For this shoot, I used a lightbox. The plate was on a white surface. I shot at a 45° angle to capture texture and depth.
This is a gallery of photographs, select one and scroll through the rest.
📚 Glossary
Pork rashers: Thick slices of pork belly, often with skin and bone. Similar to American-style pork chops but fattier.
Black pudding: A type of blood sausage made with pork blood, fat, and oatmeal. Popular in British and Irish breakfasts.
Potato gems: Known elsewhere as tater tots. Small cylinders of grated potato, deep-fried or baked until crispy.
Weber Q+: A popular Australian gas BBQ with heat control and versatility.
It has been a while since I have eaten pork (apart from some ham in last week’s meal). I prefer beef and other ruminant meats.
While fresh pork is excellent, I also enjoy cured pork products.
I am combining some speck[i] and a pig’s hock[ii] in the slow cooker. Additionally, I am using leftover beef broth.
At the end of the cooking, I will have enough meat for a few meals this week. I still have a couple of aliquots from my beef congee, so this week’s lunches will be flavourful.
I instructed Microsoft Copilot to create this image. It is meant to depict the processing of a pig for speck and smoked hock.
Recipe
This post really does not constitute a recipe. I am simply adding a few things to a slow cooker and letting it go.
Ingredients
Speck
Hock
Beef broth
Equipment
Slow cooker
Instructions
Place the speck and hock into the cooking vessel.
Add some leftover beef broth.
Cook on “high” for 6 hours.
Remove the meat and pull it with a pair of forks, or if you want to really enjoy it, use both hands and squish the meat as you make fists. The result will be warm, moisturised skin on your hands and perfectly pulled pork. Pulling pork is so satisfying.
Filter the cooking liquor through a strainer and refrigerate the filtrate. The following day, you can separate the hardened pork fat, which will also have some beef fat with it. I usually “clean” my fat by putting it into a small saucepan with some water and bringing it to a steady boil for a few minutes. I repeat this process and then pour the fat and water (which will be clear) into an enamel bowl and refrigerate it. The following day, I have a nice disc of clean fat with which I can cook.
Serve your pulled pork with whatever you choose. I’m enjoying my pulled pork with a pickle. If you are in the mood, you could boil some cabbage and make some creamy buttery potato mash.
Photographs
Select an image and scroll through the rest.
Thoughts on the meal
Speck is an expensive option, and in future I’ll probably look for reduced price pork belly at the butcher. I think pulled pork would be great for pork congee, which may be a future weekend cook. I know the pork fat will combine well with rice.
[i] Pork speck, a traditional cured meat from South Tyrol, Italy, is a blend of German and Italian culinary traditions. It’s made from deboned pork leg seasoned with salt, pepper, juniper berries, bay leaves, and garlic, then cold-smoked and aged for several months. This results in a deeply flavoured, smoky ham with a firm texture and a savoury, slightly spicy aroma.
[ii] Pork hock, also called a ham hock or pork knuckle, is the lower part of a pig’s leg, above the foot and below the ham or shoulder. It’s a collagen-rich cut with skin, bone, fat, and some meat, perfect for slow cooking methods like braising, boiling, or roasting.
On the weekend, I saw a piece of pork in the meat display and thought I’d make a few meals from it during the week.
Recipe
Ingredients
Pork belly
Salt
Rice — White, long grain
Beef broth
Beef fat
Equipment
Knife
Aluminium foil
Oven
Saucepan with lid
Instructions
Pork
Score the skin with a knife. A clean box cutter blade is perfect for this purpose. Make the cuts skin deep and in a crisscross pattern.
Season the pork generously with salt.
Dry-brine the pork for two nights. Place the piece of pork on a rack and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for two nights. Dry brining dries the skin and helps ensure the muscle-meat remains tender and juicy.
After dry brining and before cooking, heat the oven to 120 °C.
Wrap the base and sides of the pork with aluminium foil and then place it in a baking tray. This process avoids exposing the muscle meat to direct heat, keeping it moist. The exposed skin will dry further in the oven heat and make the development of crackling easier.
Cook in the oven at 120 °C for 2 hours, and then
Cook in the oven at 220 °C for 30 minutes. This second step creates the crackling.
Rest the meat for about 15 minutes.
Cut the meat.
Serve the meat.
Eat the meat.
Rice
The day before you plan to cook the pork, cook some rice.
I like to wash the rice in a bowl of water.
Swish the water and rice with your hand in the bowl and decant the water.
Repeat the process until the water is clear.
For cooking the rice, the amount of water necessary is about double the volume of the washed rice.
Bring the water and rice to a simmer and stir slowly to avoid the rice sticking to the saucepan. As the rice absorbs the water, keep an eye on it until it’s cooked the way you like it.
Transfer the rice to a bowl and cover it. Place it in the refrigerator overnight.
Just before you plan to serve the pork, gently reheat the rice in a saucepan. I like to add a little beef fat and some beef broth while it’s reheating. The fat and broth will be absorbed and add some flavour.
Thoughts on the meal
The meal was great. The crackling was crispy and crunchy. The meat was tender and juicy.
Photographs
This is a gallery of photographs. Click on one and scroll through the images.
Pork chops are cut from the loin of the pig, which extends from the hip to the shoulder and includes the ribcage. The loin is divided into four sections: the blade end (closer to the shoulder), the rib end, the loin centre, and the sirloin end (near the hip). Pork chops can be sourced from any of these sections, with each part providing different textures and flavours.
Terminology for Pork Chops
Pork chops are known by different names in various countries. For instance:
In the UK, they are often referred to as “pork cutlets.”
In France, the term “côte de porc” is used.
In Italy, they are called “braciole di maiale.“
In Germany, they are known as “Schweinekoteletts.“
Best Ways to Cook Pork Chops
Cooking pork chops well requires attention and respect for the meat. Here are some methods:
Grilling: This method gives a smoky flavour and charred exterior. Marinating the chops before grilling adds depth to the taste.
Pan-Seared: Quick and effective, this method involves searing the chops in a hot pan to form a crust, then finishing them in the oven.
Baking: A slow and gentle method that ensures the meat is juicy and tender. Seasoning or breading can add extra flavour.
Sous Vide: This technique involves vacuum-sealing the chops and cooking them in a water bath at a precise temperature, ensuring consistent doneness.
Selecting Pork Chops at a Butcher Shop
When choosing pork chops, consider the following:
Colour: Look for pinkish-red chops with some marbling; avoid chops that are pale or have dark spots.
Fat Content: Some fat around the edges is desirable as it adds flavour and moisture.
Bone-In or Boneless: Bone-in chops tend to be juicier and more flavourful, while boneless chops cook more quickly and evenly.
Nutritional Value of Pork Chops
Pork chops are a source of protein and nutrients. Here’s a breakdown of their nutritional content (per 100 grams):
Protein: Approximately 21–26 grams
Fat: Around 9–12 grams, including both saturated and unsaturated fats
Carbohydrates: Negligible, as meat generally doesn’t contain carbs
Pork chops also provide B vitamins, selenium, zinc, and phosphorus.
Premarket Processes
Consumers should be aware of some premarket processes that can affect the quality of pork chops:
Water Injection: Some pork chops are injected with a saline solution to enhance juiciness and weight. This process can alter the taste and texture, and it’s essential to read labels carefully.
Brining: Similar to water injection, brining involves soaking the meat in a saltwater solution, which can improve flavour but also increase sodium content.
Selecting high-quality pork chops and understanding their preparation and nutritional content can elevate your experience. Whether grilled, baked, or pan-seared, pork chops offer a versatile and delicious option.
I also asked Microsoft Copilot to compare and contrast beef and pork.
Alimentary Tract of Pigs and Beef Cattle
Pigs
Type of Stomach: Monogastric (single-chambered)
Diet: Omnivorous, consisting of grains, vegetables, and occasionally meat.
Fermentation Site: Limited fermentation occurs in the caecum and colon.
Process: Food is ingested, passed to the stomach for enzymatic digestion, and then moves to the small intestine where most nutrient absorption occurs. Fibre and other indigestible components are partially fermented in the large intestine.
Beef Cattle
Type of Stomach: Ruminant (four-chambered)
Diet: Herbivorous, primarily grass and other fibrous plant material.
Fermentation Site: Extensive fermentation occurs primarily in the rumen (first chamber).
Process: Food is ingested and initially stored in the rumen, where it is fermented by a complex community of microbes. This produces volatile fatty acids (VFAs), which are a primary energy source. The food then passes through the reticulum, omasum, and abomasum for further digestion and absorption.
Four-Chambered vs Single-Chambered Stomach
Four-Chambered Stomach (Ruminants)
Chambers: Rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum.
Function: Rumen is the primary site for microbial fermentation, which breaks down fibrous plant material into VFAs, microbial protein, and gases. The reticulum acts as a sieve, the omasum absorbs water and nutrients, and the abomasum functions similarly to a monogastric stomach, producing acid and enzymes for digestion.
Single-Chambered Stomach (Monogastrics)
Chambers: One main stomach chamber.
Function: Secretes acid and digestive enzymes to break down food into smaller molecules for absorption in the small intestine. Fermentation occurs to a much lesser extent in the large intestine.
Implications for Metabolism and Food Processing
Ruminants (Beef Cattle): Due to their complex stomachs, they efficiently convert fibrous plant material into energy through microbial fermentation. This results in a slow but steady release of energy, suitable for grazing animals that need to extract maximum nutrients from fibrous diets.
Monogastrics (Pigs): They rely more on enzymatic digestion and have limited capacity to ferment fibrous material. Their diet needs to be more easily digestible and nutrient-rich, allowing for quicker energy release and growth.
Quality of Free Fatty Acids
Ruminants: The microbial fermentation process in the rumen saturates fatty acids, leading to higher proportions of saturated fatty acids in their tissues.
Monogastrics: Pigs tend to have higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids in their tissues since their digestive process doesn’t extensively alter the fatty acid profile of their diet.
The differences in digestive anatomy and function between pigs and beef cattle reflect their dietary needs and the nature of their food processing. Ruminants like cattle are specialised to derive energy from fibrous plants through microbial fermentation, while monogastric animals like pigs depend on a more varied diet and enzymatic digestion for nutrient absorption. These differences also influence the types and quality of fatty acids produced within their systems.
Recipe
Because I’m not confident with cooking pork chops, I elected to use a water bath and precision cooker for tonight’s meal.
