Roast Pork Hock

Yes, pork does qualify as red meat. Most pork hocks are cured as ham, but the uncured meat makes a sticky-fleshed, and remarkably cheap, roast.

1. 1

   Using the tip of a very sharp knife, score the skin of the pork hocks into 1cm strops. Try to avoid cutting into the meat. Put the salt and fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar and grind together until you have an aromatic grit. Rub this well into the skin and flezh of the pork hocks, then put them in a roasting tin, resting on their wide fleshy end, and place in the fridge, uncovered, overnight. This will help the skin dry out.
   Heat the oven to 240C/Gas Mark 9. Remove any salty liquid from the bottom of the roasting tin, then season the pork hocks well with pepper. Rub 1 tsp vegetable oil into the skin of each hock, then put them in the oven for 30 mins, until the skin starts to blister.
   Now add the vegetables, garlic and wine, cover the tin with a double layer of foil, tucking it in around the outside rim to seal. Return the tin to the oven, then turn the heat down to 150C/Gas Mark 2 and roast for 2-2 1/2 hrs, or until the meat is almost ready to fall from the bones. Remove the folil, tunr up the heat to 240C/Gas Mark 8 again and roast uncovred for another 30 mins until the crackling is crisp. If it hasn't quite done its thing, you can cut off the skin and put it under a hot grillfor minute or two.
   Remove the meat from the tin, cover loosely with foil and put to one side. Spoon off as much of the fat as possible from the juices, then put the tin on the hob. Add the stock and bubble away until the sauce has thickend a little. Add a squeeze of lemon to taste, season, then strain into a jug. Serve the juice with the meat and any Sunday roast trimmings that happen to take your fancy.