ESSENTIAL RECIPES- PORK
BACON, ROSEMARY & CRANBERRY BUTTER
By Zandeleen Thygesen @ zandilions
Serves: 8-10
INGREDIENTS
• 200g bacon, chopped
• 250g butter, softened
• 1 sprig rosemary
• a handful dried cranberries
METHOD
1. Fry the bacon pieces until crisp and set aside.
2. In a blender / food processor, blend all the ingredients together.
3. You can add anything extra at this point like spices or nuts.
4. Add onto parchment paper and roll out a log.
5. Place in the fridge until firm.
6. Use as part of a butter board or with anything that requires butter.
BOXING DAY GAMMON BRAAIBROODJIES
By Karl Tessendorf @ beercountrysa
This recipe is an extract from THE GOOD STUFF by Karl Tessendorf and published by Penguin Random House South Africa.
When it comes to Christmas, I am the gammon guy. I usually make four over the festive season, and for good reason. I want leftovers because Boxing Day just isn’ t Boxing Day without gammon braaibroodjies.
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
For the gammon:
• 1 medium-sized( 2kg) gammon( I like Woolies boneless gammon)
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 celery stalks, cut into chunks
• 2 medium carrots, cut into chunks
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 10 peppercorns
• 4 cloves
• 2 star anise
• 1 peel of lemon rind
For the glaze:
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• a splash of water
For the sarmies:
• white farm loaf or sourdough, sliced
• mayonnaise
• chutney
• wholegrain mustard
• 500g mozzarella, grated
• 500g mature cheddar, grated
• tomatoes, sliced
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• a small jar of pickled onions
METHOD
1. Place all the ingredients for the gammon in a large pot and fill it with water until the gammon( in its netting) is submerged. Bring the water to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and gently simmer for 2 hours or until the gammon hits 60 ° C. Top up with hot water as needed during the cooking process.
2. For the glaze, add the honey and mustard to a small pot. Loosen with a splash of water, then set it over medium-low heat. Warm through and mix to combine.
3. After 2 hours, remove the gammon from the pot and place it on a rack to cool slightly.
4. Preheat the oven to 220 ° C Remove the netting from the gammon, peel off the skin and discard. Use a knife if it needs convincing. Try to keep as much of the fat on the gammon as possible.
5. Using the tip of a sharp
66 | Summer 2025 / 26 • essentialflavours. co. za