Tomato and Chilli Braised Pork Shoulder Steaks with Caper and Parmesan Potato Gratin.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

For the pork:

4 x 150g Pork shoulder steaks

75g Diced smoked pancetta

6 Shallots, peeled and cut in half

1 Stick of celery, finely diced

1 tblsp Tomato puree

6 Tomatoes, cut into 8s

2 Chillis, de-seeded and finely sliced

3 Cloves of garlic, sliced thin

1 tblsp Chopped thyme

2 tblsp Picked oregano leaves

2 Bay Leaves

20 Pitted olives

200g Cooked marinated artichoke hearts

1 Large glass white wine

2 tblsp Balsamic vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

For the potato gratin:

800g Washed baking potatoes, sliced 2mm thin

3 tblsp Capers

2 tblsp Picked rosemary

300 ml Chicken stock

50g Grated Parmesan

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 165 degrees C (325 degrees F), gas mark 3
• Heat an oven proof saucepan on the stove and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, fry the pork shoulder steaks until golden brown on either side and remove from the pan.
• In the same pan add the shallots, pancetta, celery, half the chillis and garlic. Fry for a couple of minutes until everything is beginning to brown.
• Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, thyme and half the oregano and continue to fry for one minute.
• Add the white wine and balsamic and bring to the boil.
• Return the pork shoulder steaks to the pan and season everything with salt and pepper.
• Place the pan into the oven and cook for 1 hour 20 minutes or until the pork is tender.

For the potato gratin:

• Take an oven proof dish and brush the bottom with a little olive oil.
• Arrange the first layer of potato in the bottom of the dish in a circular pattern with potatoes overlapping slightly.

• Sprinkle a few capers, some picked rosemary and salt and pepper over the potatoes.
• Repeat this to build up layers to the top of the dish.
• Pour the chicken stock over the potatoes.
• Cut a piece of baking parchment to the sice of the dish and place on top of the potatoes, cover with tin foil and fold tightly round the edges to create a seal.
• Place into the oven with the pork, the potatoes should be cooked after one hour.
• Remove from the oven and take off the foil and baking parchment, sprinkle the parmesan over and return to the oven to brown.

To Finish:

• Once the pork is tender remove from the pan and keep warm.
• Stir the olives, artichokes and the remaining chillis into the tomato sauce and warm for two minutes.
• Ladle the sauce over the pork steaks and top with the remaining fresh oregano.