Spicy Pork Leg Steaks and New Potatoes

Spicy pork leg steaks and roast potatoes are served with trimmed green beans

These past few months have seen me travelling a fair bit and very often eating in pubs, restaurants, hotels or from takeaways rather than being in my own kitchen, cooking my own meals. Hence the unfortunate gap between posts on this blog. While eating out more often may be the dream of many and the food on Islay for example (where I was last weekend) was fabulous, this can be an expensive method of eating. It is not entirely with regret, therefore, that I find myself now home based for a time, with the opportunity to once again develop and share my own culinary creations.

The spice around which this dish is based is smoked paprika, to give the dish a Spanish, sunshine feel but chilli powder or similar could be used if desired.
 

Pork leg steaks

Ingredients (Serves One)

2 medium pork leg steaks
4 new potatoes
3 teaspoons smoked paprika (2 for pork, 1 for potatoes)
Salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (2 for roasting potatoes, 1 for frying pork)
1 clove of garlic (peeled and grated)
Trimmed green beans as required
Sliced basil leaves to garnish

Dry marinating pork leg steaks in smoked paprika

Directions

Carefully rub the pork steaks on both sides with 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika per steak, seasoning also with black pepper. They should be seasoned with salt only immediately before they are to be fried. Lay them on a plate, cover and leave to marinate for at least half an hour.

New potato halves are turned in hot oil

Pour two tablespoons of vegetable oil in to a roasting tray and put the tray in to the oven to preheat both to 400F/200C. Wash and scrub the new potatoes without peeling them and pat dry with kitchen paper. Cut in half lengthways.

When the oil is heated, add the potatoes to the tray and carefully stir around with a wooden spoon to ensure even coating of the oil. Put the tray in to the oven for fifteen minutes, after which time the potatoes should be stirred again and returned to the oven for a further ten to fifteen minutes.

Shallow frying marinated pork steaks

When the potatoes have been returned to the oven for the second part of their cooking time, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a non-stick frying pan. Season the pork leg steaks with salt before frying over a medium heat for seven or eight minutes each side until done. Turn off the heat and push the pan to a cool part of the hob/stove to let the pork meat rest.

Roasted new potato halves

Add the green beans to a pot of simmering, salted water to blanche for three to four minutes.

Grate the garlic clove in to a large bowl and add the remaining teaspoon of smoked paprika. Take the potatoes from the oven and lift them one at a time in to the bowl. Carefully fold/stir them through the spice and garlic.

Hot roasted potatoes are turned in smoked paprika and crushed garlic

Turn the potatoes out on to a plate covered with kitchen paper and spread them out in a single layer to drain.

Spiced roast potato halves are dried on kitchen paper

Lay the pork leg steaks on your serving plate, followed by the potatoes. Drain the beans through a colander before adding alongside. Garnish with the finely sliced basil leaves.
 

Spicy pork leg steaks and roast potatoes are plated