Pork & Avocado Balsamic Salad

Introduction

Today I am in charge of the children. This normally means mess and toys everywhere, no housework and 'experimental' lunches. Today was no exception.

With one child deposited in school & the other worn out from helping me build a den under the table, we decided we were hungry and in need of more than Bourbon cremes & fig rolls.

Looking in the fridge and cupboard reminded me that I had to go shopping in the afternoon so lunch was either a simple cheese butty or something made using ingenuity, experience and luck.

I did notice an avocado looking lonely, then there was three pork shoulder steaks that I hadn't decided what to do with (slow cooked with lentils probably). I knew we had a few salad bits so something along the lines of bacon/avocado salad should be easy. Right?

Turns out it was.

Ingredients

1 x pork shoulder steak
1 avocado
1 stick celery
About 10 cherry toms
Half a large carrot
About 5 cm cucumber
Few slices of cheese
1 tsp cranberry jelly
Balsamic vinegar
1-2 tsp sweet chilli dipping sauce
1 clove allspice
Salt
Pepper

Method

First prepare the pork. Cover in cling film and beat within an inch of its life or until it's thinner than about half cm.

Put a pan on a low heat and put in a generous splash of balsamic vinegar, the cranberry jelly, the sweet chilli sauce, the ground allspice & a pinch of pepper.

Mix well and let the jelly melt before adding the meat. Cover both sides with the liquid. Leave to cook slowly.

Prepare the salad. Slice the celery & cucumber into nice chunks. Quarter the toms, chop up the avocado & grate the carrot into a large bowl. Mix well.

Chop the cheese into matchsticks and put to one side.

When the pork is cooked, remove from the pan and put to one side. Deglaze the pan with about 1/4 cup of boiling water then reduce and thicken slightly.

Chop the meat into small pieces. Now mix the meat and sauce from the pan with the salad. Add the cheese and season with salt and enjoy with some nice bread.