Pork Tomahawk with Chilli Spiced Apple Sauce & Crispy Sage Leaves

Serves 2

Takes 1 hour

A pork tomahawk is a wonderful alternative to beef, still as impressive yet a little easier on the purse strings. Served with crispy sage leaves for a savoury hit and sweet apple sauce with a hint of  warming chilli to stave off the cold during these wintery nights.

1. Pre heat your oven to 180C fan.

2. Place the sugar and cider in a saucepan on a low heat, warm up until the sugar dissolves, add in the diced apple, cinnamon stick and chilli, place a lid on and cook until the apple has broken down and become soft yet still has a reasonably chunky consistency – approx. 45 mins. Set aside to cool.

3. Season the pork tomahawk with the salt, garlic granules and rub all over with olive oil. Set a skillet or wide frying pan that is also suitable for an oven, on a medium to high heat, once it begins to smoke, carefully place the pork tomahawk down into the pan, cook for 4 minutes then flip over and cook for a further 4 minutes. Add in the knob of butter and begin to baste with the handful of sage leaves, using it as a basting brush.

4. Place in the oven for a final 8 minutes, remove and let rest whilst you fry the remaining sage leaves.

5. In a small frying pan, pour in 4 tbsp of vegetable oil and bring up to medium heat, you can check its ready by placing in a small sage leaf, if it begins to sizzle, the oil is ready. Carefully place in a few of the sage leaves, fry for 20 seconds, remove and place on some kitchen roll to drain the excess oil. Go again with the remaining sage until all are lovely and crispy.

6. Cut the pork off the long bone and slice onto a platter, adorn with the crispy sage leaves and a dollop of the chilli spiced apple sauce. Enjoy!

600g pork tomahawk
2 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp olive oil
Knob of butter

For the Chilli Spiced Apple Sauce
6 Braeburn apples, peeled and diced into small chunks
500ml sweet cider
200g caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 red chillies, deseeded and finely diced

For the Crispy Sage Leaves
Handful of sage leaves with the stalks on
8 large sage leaves, stalks removed
Vegetable oil, for frying