Recipe: pork and cherries perfect for festive feasts, according to Don Hancey

PORK, apple and sage are a marriage made in heaven, according to WA Food Ambassador Don Hancey.

The Perth chef said Linley Valley pork – combined with a new West Australian apple variety Bravo – was the perfect feast this festive season.

“These Bravo apples have been developed in WA and they are an amazing crisp and stunningly flavoured apple,” Mr Hancey said.

“They’re great for the kids and healthy for summer.”

The pork ribeye is pre-cooked in the oven for an hour and a half before being finished on the barbecue.

“Pork in the old days, you had to really cook it to death but now it’s what we call leaving a little blush in the middle, a bit of pinkness,” Mr Hancey said.

“It’s also good cold in sandwiches with a fruit chutney.

“Linley Valley pork is so good it turns vegetarians.”

To finish a meal this festive season, Mr Hancey recommends a cherry mess, inspired by the Eton mess.

Start with broken pieces of meringue, add whipped cream then cherries and repeat the process.

Mr Hancey tops his cherry mess with a cherry sauce as well as a cherry port that he discovered when he was in Manjimup for the annual Cherry Festival recently.

“Add some river mint and finish it with a cherry on top,” he said.

Barbecue Linley Valley Pork Ribeye with Whole Cherries

Ingredients

• 1 x whole Linley Valley pork ribeye
• Good splash of Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 3 x Bravo apples
• Whole cherries

Method

1. Score/season ribeye and pre-cook at 180 degrees for 90 minutes
2. Allow to rest
3. Core and slice apples in to thick rings and squirt with fresh lemon
4. Put barbecue on medium heat
5. Slice ribeye in to cutlets
6. Place on barbecue and lightly colour for two minutes
7. Add sliced apple and grill
8. Turn pork and cook for another minute
9. Add whole cherries to garnish

Manjimup Cherry Mess

Ingredients

• 8 x crumbled meringues
• 600ml whipped cream
• 300g pipped cherries
• Good splash of cherry brandy sauce
• Good splash of cherry port
• River mint/lemon balm

Method

1. Place meringue in a fancy glass or bowl as the base
2. Add whipped cream
3. Layer with pipped cherries
4. Repeat process
5. Add cherry brandy sauce
6. Garnish with mint
7. Pour over cherry port