Pork Pickle

Today you can easily buy the pickled meat you want; you may just have to give your butcher a couple of days notice.  If you want to make the brine yourself, boil 1 litre of water, add 1 small potato, 1 teaspoon of salt and some pepper.  After ½ hour remove the potato, add 2 tbsp of brown or white sugar and 1 tsp of Kwit Kurit (or 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda.)  You can use this pickle for beef too.

Ingredients

Pickled pork belly (spare ribs) 200g

Pickled pork knuckles 2

Pork sausages 2

Onions, carrots, potatoes 2 of each

Leeks, turnips, 2 of each

Cabbage º of a whole

Garlic cloves 6

Bay leaves 2, a pinch of thyme

Black peppercorns, 1 dozen whole

  Method

Ask your butcher if you need to soak or rinse the pickled meat before using it.  (If it has been pickled for a long time, it may be too salty.)  In a large pot or camp oven, place the knuckle and ribs and cover with water.  Boil for about 1 hour and then add the sausages, vegetables and seasoning.  Add more water if necessary, just enough to cover, and let simmer for a further 1 ½ hours.  Place all the meat and vegetables on to a large serving tray and arrange in the middle of the table.  This dish is ideally served with your favourite mustard and gherkins. 

If the cooking juice is not too salty, it can be later used as a soup stock.