THE SLOW COOK
It’s the time of year where we find ourselves buckled over in the back of a closet searching hopelessly for the match to a beloved mitten, wondering how they always seem to get separated from each other over summer! Bundled up in our coats we stumble our way through a dark evening to the nearest bonfire where we might have our first spiced wine of the year, almost certainly out of a paper cup served from the back of a truck. We comment to one another about the chilly weather, inwardly smiling that we’ve arrived at the start of the festive season.
This time of year is filled with anticipation – the days are short and our schedules seem to burst at the seams. Gone are the lazy sunny days of a few months ago. Now, we rush around making ticks on an ever growing to-do list and check the diary again – and then again – to make sure nothing has been forgotten.
The cold weather and the short days call for slow, comfort food – one pot wonders filled with something delicious, warm and comforting, a bottle of wine and a table filled with friends and family are the best ingredients for some of the most memorable nights of the year.
We think one of the best ways to celebrate slow food is with a slow cook pork shoulder, and the best way to cook it of course, is in a cast iron pot.
Iron Masters, The Netherton Foundry in Shropshire make beautiful cast iron cookware. They say, with pride, that their business sits right in the birthplace of the industrial revolution and they draw inspiration from the 18th and 19th century Shropshire Iron Masters. We are particularly taken with their Dutch Oven that can be used in the oven or on the BBQ.
If you are looking for British pork, Pipers Farm, located in Devon, is worth a mention. They have a passionate mission to produce meat that is sustainable and in harmony with nature. They list their deep rooted beliefs as ‘Family Farms’, ‘Sustainable Community’ and ‘Native Breeds’.
We’re in luck this time of year because the vegetables that accompany roast pork so well are all perfectly in season; chard, cauliflower, white cabbage and the most ancient of all – celeriac. Celeriac is one of the oldest root vegetables in recorded history. It appears in Homers poems, ‘Iliad’ and ‘Odyssey’ and has been used throughout the centuries for medicinal and religious purposes, as well as a culinary treat.
British Producer, Jack Buck Farms grows celeriac – which they fondly call ‘The Ugly One’ – on 1,800 acres of silt land in Lincolnshire. They swap the odd looking celeriac for daffodils during the early part of the year, so that their farm is busy all year long. What a great idea!
As we all tumble into the cold season, these hot slow cooks and cosy evenings warm our hearts and lift our spirits. It’s quite possible that these are the only things we need at this time of year – well all of these things AND a pair of matching mittens…
