A Right Royal Meaty Feast



No room for hippy bean burgers here

 So we've done the Royal breakfast, we've sipped our bubbles earlier than normally allowed (I love how a Royal Wedding permits, and even encourages pre-midday intoxication, not to mention A DAY OFF) and now it was time to skip down the road to Pip's house, where that strange English phenomenon known as the Street Party, was taking place. We had strict orders to pick up some pork from the legend that is Surbiton's Bulgarian Meat Man, also known as Kalin. It was all a bit mysterious and exciting, even more so when he was no-where to be found in the pub kitchen where we were meant to meet him. So we trotted off to the street party (where it was bunting and Union Jacks a go-go) to wait for him. Hopefully the pork would turn up. An hour later it did, Kalin came and dropped off what must have been about 8 or 9 kilos of beautiful pork loin. Kalin had been working in the pub kitchen all day and was happy to leave it to me to 'do something' with the pork. It HAD to be marinaded, we didn't have much time but a quick rub with something tasty would be better than nothing. After telling me she didn't have much in her kitchen, I found everything I needed at Pip's, and made two different flavours for our porcine friends.

Meaty treats

Forget everything the NHS tells you, when it comes to BBQs and pork, salt is your best friend. Use it liberally and you can't go wrong. For the first marinade bash up fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar, then add lots of peeled garlic and bash that up with the seeds, adding a good helping of salt. That is it, fennel seeds, garlic and salt, like with the pork belly recipe I blogged in January, simplicity is key. Loosen with olive oil and smear all over the pork. Marinade number two is just bashed up coriander seeds and dried chilies, garlic, lemon juice, salt and again, loosen with olive oil then get smeary with it. Ideally let the piggy bathe in that for a good four hours or so, but the coals were ready and Kalin was looking anxious.

The pork was expertly cooked by Kalin, gently and slowly, this was a lot of meat and bloody pork was not the effect we were after. We sliced it all up, put it in baguettes, with some salad for the girls. We handed round the sliced pork and the gannets devoured the lot. Except for the vegetarian lady who longingly sighed at the heavy platter of heaven. God didn't give you those canines for nothing lady. The street party was a fantastic triumph, bringing out the community spirit in everyone, not to mention, the carnivore.