MELLOW COOKING RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. To make a rub, bash all the spices together with a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper in a pestle and mortar till fine (or use a blender). Muddle in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
  2. Trim the fat off the pork, then rub the spice mix over the pork and marinate for 1 hour.
  3. Light your barbecue and let it calm down. Make sure you’ve got your coals high on one side and low on the other for control.
  4. Grill the pork for 5 to 10 minutes, using tongs to turn it till charred all over. Fat will render out, so keep it moving to avoid any flames.
  5. Once it’s looking beautiful, move it to the cool side of the barbecue, cover with tin foil and cook for 45 to 60 minutes, turning every 5 to 10 minutes – you should get gnarly pork that’s beautifully cooked. Check it by cutting in half and looking, or use a meat thermometer and stop when it reaches 72ºC inside – you don’t want it pink but please don’t cook the hell out of it either.
  6. Meanwhile, for the sauce, mix all the ingredients together. Taste it, and tweak the flavours until it tastes right for you. Whatever vibe you’re going for, you want to go slightly too far as it will mellow when it cooks. You don’t have to, but it’s nice to put it on the heat for a couple of minutes to help it along.
  7. For the salad, pick and finely slice all the herbs. Scrub the beetroot and shred the cabbage. Finely slice the chillies (if using).
  8. Add the herbs to a large serving bowl. Thinly slice your beets and apples (core and all), then finely slice into matchsticks (a food processor will do a fine job).
  9. Put these in the bowl, along with the chilli (if using), and add a squeeze of lemon juice.
  10. Just before serving, pour on the extra virgin olive oil, squeeze over the rest of the lemon juice and add a good pinch of pepper. Toss it all together, then have a taste and season to perfection, if needed.
  11. Brush half the sauce all over the pork so it’s shiny and dark, and cook for the final few minutes till it sizzles.
  12. Put it back on the hot side if it needs help to get sticky, but don’t let it burn.
  13. Transfer to a nice board, drizzle over the rest of the sauce and carve at the table, to eat with your lovely salad.

Steps:

• To bake the squash, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut in half and place halves, cut side up, in a foil-lined, shallow baking dish and cover tightly with more foil. Bake for 30 to 50 minutes, until you can easily pierce the flesh with a knife. Scoop out and set aside.
• Heat about half the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat until golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the apple, squash, broth and spices. Bring to a steady simmer, then cover and simmer gently until the apples are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer the solids to a food processor with a slotted spoon, in batches if need be, and process until smoothly pureed, then transfer back to the soup pot. Or better yet, simply insert an immersion blender into the pot and process until smoothly pureed.
• Stir in the coconut milk and return the soup to a gentle simmer. Cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until well heated through. Season with salt and pepper. If time allows, let the soup stand off the heat for an hour or two, then heat through as needed before serving.
• Just before serving, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet. Add the red onions and sauté over low heat until golden and soft.
• Meanwhile, strip the kale leaves off the stems and cut into thin shreds. Stir together with the onions in the skillet, adding just enough water to moisten the surface. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the kale is bright green and just tender, about 5 minutes.
• To serve, ladle soup into each bowl, then place a small mound of kale and onion mixture in the center.