Moves towards statehood began with a public meeting in 1851 to consider Queensland’s separation from the Colony of New South Wales. As the push for separation gained momentum, Queen Victoria was approached to consider establishing a separate colony based at Moreton Bay. The Queen gave her approval and signed the Letters Patent on 6 June 1859. On the same day, an Order-in-Council granted Queensland its own Constitution. Queensland became a self-governing colony with its own Governor, a nominated Legislative Council and an elected Legislative Assembly.
While Queensland Day is not a gazetted holiday in Queensland, many states and territories are observing the King’s birthday on Monday this weekend. Notably, Queensland and Western Australia do not have a gazetted public holiday on Monday. It’s been flat-out at work, with multiple incidents happening at once. I’m grateful not to be on call this weekend. That said, there have been messages to handle today.
How I observed Queensland Day
To celebrate Queensland Day, I went for a drive. I’ve recently got new tyres and new brake pads, so I wanted to go for a drive in the hills. I like windy roads and going up and down steep hills. It was wet and foggy, so visibility was poor. There were also cyclists on the road, who posed a mobile obstacle on quite narrow roads with a reasonable amount of oncoming traffic. It all made for a really enjoyable drive. On the way there, I listened to 1980s Australian hits, and on the way back, I listened to my favourite band, Celtic Worship.
My destination was a bakery that workmates had said had good coffee and excellent sausage rolls. I enjoyed a mug of coffee and a delicious cinnamon scroll. On the way out, I bought a pork-and-fennel sausage roll and brought it home. I had it for lunch. It was a very, very good sausage roll.
For dinner tonight, I had a pork knuckle with some sauerkraut and peas. The pork knuckle had been slowly cooked and then refrigerated. I finished it in an air fryer tonight.
This post isn’t really about an autumn menu. I just needed a title for the post!
I did a bit of travel this week and got to see some friends and eat out, too.
Full length bathtub for a soak
One of my friends I visited asked me about my current habitus[i] and approach to nutrition. She was interested in the fact that most of my food consumption is beef and lamb, and little else. I explained that, in many ways, it’s a restricted approach because it makes me feel better, and I no longer suffer from intestinal discomfort. My bowel movements are less frequent, and my stools are well-formed. I also no longer experience constant abdominal discomfort.
I also explained that, from time to time, when I experiment and go beyond beef and lamb, I notice changes in how I feel and in my symptoms.
While I was away, I found a restaurant that offered a buffet dinner with seafood constituting a good proportion of the fare. It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a meal of oysters, prawns, and mussels. I couldn’t resist enjoying an open prawn sandwich with a slice of sourdough bread and some French butter.
On another night, I ate a rather tough piece of rump steak, followed by a passionfruit bombe Alaska[ii] cheesecake, which was most enjoyable.
To mix things up, I bought some pork chops and cooked one for today’s lunch.
As I was cooking it, the smell of pork fat had me drooling like a Pavlovian dog and mimicking Homer Simpson.
What have I been listening to this week?
I listened to an interview with Anthony Daniels, whose pen name is Theodore Dalrymple. He is well known as a medical practitioner (specialist psychiatrist) and author of the book Life at the Bottom, which compiles essays based on his interactions with thousands of patients, many of whom had attempted suicide and were victims or perpetrators of crime, particularly domestic abuse.
The interview covers the dramatic increase in crime rates since the early 20th century, which cannot be explained by genetics or economic inequality but is linked to changes in social attitudes and mental states. Daniels contrasts past policing methods, emphasising the decline in respect for law enforcement and the weakening of punishment. He highlights lenient sentencing practices and media silence on actual prison time served, noting public support for harsher punishments despite elite disdain for such views. The erosion of social order and the rise of permissiveness are cited as contributors to increased violence and crime.
The conversation touches on cultural influences such as the global spread of American rap culture, which Daniels finds repellent due to its violent and misogynistic content. They discuss the decline of social decorum, including the normalisation of vulgar language and informal dress, contrasting current trends with past societal norms of formality and refinement. Daniels reflects on the loss of intellectual and moral refinement in the working class and the impact of deindustrialisation and ideological permissiveness on these changes.
The interview with Louise Perry examines the social, cultural, and psychological dimensions of poverty, crime, and societal dysfunction in contemporary Britain, as seen through the experiences and observations of Anthony Daniels.
What have I been watching?
Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning (Part One)
Ethan Hunt and his IMF team confront a rogue artificial intelligence known as the Entity, racing across the globe to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. As shifting alliances and hidden motives complicate the mission, Ethan must navigate betrayal, relentless pursuit, and the moral cost of safeguarding humanity.
What will I be watching?
This weekend is the end of round one for the new National Rugby League season. Tomorrow the Dolphins play against South Sydney.
I’m hoping the Dolphins win.
Tonight’s meal
T-bone steak with blue vein cheese and mustard sauce with pomegranate arils
Tonight’s meal was delicious. I cooked the steak in a water bath and then seared it on a barbecue cast-iron flat-top.
I made a sauce with blue vein cheese and mustard.
I added some pomegranate arils for a pop of colour.
What else have I eaten this week?
I hope you enjoy your week ahead.
[i] A person’s general constitution, especially physical build.
[ii] A bombe Alaska is an old-school dessert that combines ice cream, cake, and toasted meringue into one showpiece.
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.
