Lime and Coriander Flavored Pork

I suspect that it was the shop keeper where we buy loose goods, he had over-ordered lime juice in the form of green plastic fruit shaped bottles and had resorted to some creative marketing in an attempt to reclaim his shelf space.  England has a strong connection with limes, Americans call our sailors (and other military personnel) "limeys" because lime and lemon juice were used in the Royal Navy during the 19th Century to prevent scurvy. Coriander has become fashionable in recent years and bunches of it are almost as common as parsley on the market stalls, but what happens to the seeds ?  To the best of my knowledge, coriander is not native to the UK but originated in Southern Europe.  Whatever, this is a very successful combination of flavours.
Contents

Home
Index
Search

Ingredients (serves 6)

3 pounds (1 1/2 kg) of sliced belly pork, (be generous because it shrinks during cooking)
1 ounce (25 gm) of ground Coriander seeds
half a dozen limes or a long and generous squirt from a lime sized plastic bottle
half a cup of olive oil.

Method

Squeeze the limes and add the juice to the cup used to measure the olive oil together with the ground coriander.  Whisk about until you have combined the ingredients (the important thing is to get the lumps out of the coriander powder,  the time the oil and lime juice stay combined depends on how much energy you or your blender impart to the process).

Pour the mixture into a large baking tray (to me that means something 10 - 12 inches square) and drag each slice of meat through the liquid until each slice has had some contact.

Bake for 1 hour at gas mark 7.  Turn the slices after 40 minutes.  Lengthen the cooking time if the slices are more than half an inch thick and/or you like your pork crispy.  Poke with a fork to ensure that the meat is cooked.

Comment

Serve with boiled potatoes and steamed cabbage. This recipe has taught me a couple of things.  First, the flavour (I suppose that means "quality") of purchased herbs and spices varies enormously.  Secondly, the temperature within a conventional oven depends on the position.  Fan ovens get an even temperature by circulating the hot air, but you can save several hundred pounds by simply rotating the baking tray occasionally.

Page Updated: 5th November 2000