南瓜甘薯燉豬肉 Pork, Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Stew

在英國居住了這麼多年，我對他們的經典民間菜式仍總是百吃不厭。除了具有代表性的烤肉餐外，本地的砂鍋菜 (Casserole) 或燉肉餐 (Stew) 也是我最愛做和最受老公孩子們歡迎的家常菜之一。

After living in the UK for so many years, I've come to love their classic family dishes so much. Apart from the most popular Sunday roast dinner, casseroles and stews are among our family firm favourites too.

英國食物的烹飪方法多是樸實無華。只要採用優質的道地食材，通常只加點鹽、黑胡椒、香草、香料、酒和高湯等簡單的調味料，重點是要把肉的原汁原味保留。就是要煮上幾小時，也不過是為了要讓肉燜稔，而不是為了要令肉變得更好味。

傳統的砂鍋菜做法是把肉和蔬菜、馬鈴薯等放進砂鍋或鑄鐵鍋內，置烤箱中低温焗煮，也可以把整鍋菜和肉放在爐上慢火燉二、三小時。

British cooking traditions have been built round the good quality of the meat, where there was never any need to change the taste of the meat itself. Basic seasoning like salt, black pepper, herbs, spices, wine and stock etc. are there to enhance the texture and flavour of the meat. So making casseroles which take a long time to cook is for the meat to become tender, rather than to taste better.

To do a good stew or casserole, you usually need to put the meat and vegetables in a stoneware or cast iron deep saucepan, then either cook over a slow simmer on the hob or put inside the oven to cook, on a low heat for 2 to 3 hours until the meat become tender.

今天想與大家分享我最喜歡的省時美味燉肉法，任何忙碌的家庭主婦也可以快手上菜。要訣是選用價亷質優味美的豬頸肉 (即是梅頭肉或豬肩肉 — pork collar or pork shoulder)。最好是買到自由放養的豬肉，雖然價錢會比較貴了點，但口味會好很多。

I want to share with you here a very simple way to cook a big pot of quick and tasty stew. The secret is to use a cut of meat which is reasonably priced but delicious when cooked - pork collar or pork shoulder. It'd even be better if you can buy the pork produced from an outdoor reared pig, though it may be slightly more expensive, the taste and quality are totally worth it.


南瓜甘薯燉豬肉
Pork, Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Stew 

材料:
( 4 人份 )

• 豬頸肉 ( 豬肩肉 / 梅頭肉 ) 600g
• 南瓜 ( 任何種類 ) 250g
• 紅蘿蔔 3 條
• 甘薯 ( 地瓜 / 番薯 ) 2 條
• 大蒜 2 株
• 瑞典蕪菁 Swede 半個 (可用 2 個馬鈴薯代替 )
• 中型洋蔥 2 個
• 指頭大小的薑 1 塊
• 蒜頭 4 瓣
• 百里香 Thyme 4 小枝
• 白酒 1 杯
• 上湯或滾水1000 ml ( 我用滾水把 2 粒有機菜精溶化成上湯 / 也可以只用滾水 )
• 麵粉 1 碗 
• 橄欖油 3 大匙
• 海鹽和鮮磨黑椒作調味
• 綠色棷菜作旁菜

Ingredients:
( serves 4 )

• 600g pork collar or pork shoulder
• 250g of any type of pumpkin or squash
• 3 carrots
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 2 leeks
• 1/2 swede ( or 2 potatoes )
• 2 medium size onions
• A thumb size piece of ginger 
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 sprigs thyme
• a glass of white wine
• 1000 ml vegetable stock (I dissolved 2 organic vegetable stock cubes in 1000 ml of boiling water / or you can just use boiling water) 
• a bowl of plain flour
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
• savoy cabbage for side dish

做法 Method:

1.)   豬肉切塊排開，磨上海鹽黑椒，然後每塊上下均勻沾上麵粉。

1.)   Dice the pork and lay them out in a tray,  season with salt and black pepper, coat each piece of
       meat evenly with plain flour.

2.)   燒熱 2 個平底不沾鑊，各下油 1 大匙，把肉塊排進，煎至兩面金香，盛起備用，如只
       用 1 隻鑊的話，則把肉分兩次下鑊。

2.)   Heat up two non-stick pans, add 1tbsp oil in each pan until hot, then add the pork in single layer
       to shallow-fry until golden brown on each side, if only using one pan, then fry the pork in 2
       batches.

3. ) 洋蔥切角，薑去皮切片，蒜頭剁蓉。大砂鍋或生鐵鍋燒熱下油 1 大匙，下洋蔥炒軟，加進
      蒜蓉薑片爆炒香。

3.)  Onions peeled and cut into squares, ginger skin removed and cut into thin slices, garlic crushed.
      Heat up a deep casserole dish or a cast iron pan,  add 1 tbsp oil, fry the onion till soft, then put in
      the ginger and garlic, stir-fry till brown and fragrance.

4.)   把肉塊加入，下酒拌炒一會。百里香用乾淨幼綿繩困紥起放進鍋中。

4.)   Add the meat, then the wine to fry together. Tie the thyme with clean thin cotton thread and place
       it on top of the pork.

5.)   下上湯或沸水至剛淹過肉面，加蓋煮滾後，改用中小火燉 30 分鐘。

5. )   Add the stock or just boiling water to just above the meat , cover and bring to the boil, then
        simmer for 30 minutes.

6.)   燉肉期間把南瓜、紅蘿蔔、甘薯和瑞典蕪菁去皮切角，大蒜去外層洗淨切段。把所有蔬
       菜在豬肉燉了 30 分鐘後加入，將餘下的上湯或開水也加進，一起拌勻，上蓋。大火煮滾
       後用中小火再燉 30 分鐘。整鍋燉肉只需烹煮 1 小時的時間，肉與蔬菜的軟稔程度便會恰
       到好處，也非常美味 !

6.)   Whilst the pork being stewed, peel and cut the squash, carrots, sweet potatoes and swede into
       chunks, wash and chop the leeks. Add the vegetables in with rest of the stock or water after the
       meat have been cooked for 30 minutes, stir well and cover, bring to the boil then turn down to
       medium low heat and cook for further 30 minutes. The pork stew only takes an hour to cook, the
       meat and vegetables will become soft, tender and delicious!

7.)   把綠椰菜放進滾水中，加少許鹽油煮熟。燉肉試味看有否需要添鹽和黑椒末，放進少許
       綠椰菜作裝飾。可與米飯和青菜一起上桌。

7.)   Cook the green cabbage in a pan of boiling water with some salt and olive oil. Season the stew
       with salt and pepper to taste, garnish with some of the cooked savoy cabbages, serve with rest of
       the cabbages and some rice.

隨著天氣逐漸轉寒，一鍋熱騰騰的燉肉令家中充滿誘人的香氣，是給回家的親人或訪客最温馨親愛的迎接。

As the weather turns chillier, a pot of hot stew fills your home with tantalising aromas, a wonderful welcome that offers warmth and comfort for your friends and family.