Serves 4

This dish really is the most fragrant and succulent of one pot dining experiences!

Makrut lime leaves are one of my favourite flavour profiles and Woody’s Farm pork is the tastiest in our land. Grown with love and entirely free range from birth, this meat has an almost wild quality about it's texture and taste. It also has a much lower fat content than other cuts of pork so you can cook the loin roast and the rice all in one pot and not be afraid of any lingering greasy mouthfeel.

This is not a slow roasted dish. The pork steams inside The Old Dutch, adding another heavenly layer of tender succulence. And it gets seared again just before serving to create that crunchy, porky crusty yum! 

The rule of thumb for roasting a rolled pork loin is 45 minutes per 1 kg, so adjust cooking times accordingly and don’t be put off by what might appear to be a long cooking method.  

The short of it is: Sear the pork - Marinate it - Roast it - Add rice - Sear once more - And devour… It’s that simple!  

THE MARINADE 

½ c fish sauce 
½ c lime juice
8 large lime leaves, stalks removed
1 large lemon grass stalk, leaves removed and chopped roughly
2 T olive oil
1 bulb garlic, peeled
2 T palm sugar 
Zest of one lime
Very large handful coriander

THE PORK

1 x 1 kg Woody’s Farm rolled pork loin
2 medium onions, sliced finely
2.5 cm ginger, grated
1 large celery stalk, chopped finely
5 large makrut lime leaves, whole
5 large makrut leaves, stalks removed & sliced finely
1 c white wine
1 c water
1 ½ c vegetable or chicken stock
1 t salt 
Rock salt to season

THE RICE 

1 ½ c Arborio or basmati rice (or a mix of both!)
4 T grated fresh turmeric

TO SERVE 

Zest of one lime
Salt Flakes   

METHOD

For the marinade, place all ingredients into your blender and blend until smooth.

Pat the pork loin dry with paper towels and dust with rock salt. 

Heat The Old Dutch pot on the stovetop with 2 T olive oil to smoking point. Sear pork on all sides until brown and crunchy.

Remove the seared pork from the pot and place in the lid of The Old Dutch to cool a little. Don’t throw the fat away - you’ll use it later to sauté the vegetables in.

With a very sharp knife – a boning knife works wonders here - cut deep holes into the loin between the strings. This will allow the marinade to penetrate the loin further.

Now stand the pork loin up on it's end and pour a quarter of the marinade mix into the centre of the loin roll. Shake and poke it a little, so the marinade relaxes into the centre of the loin. Turn the loin on it's other end, and repeat with another quarter of the marinade. Massage the rest of the marinade onto the exterior of the loin roll.

Seal the marinated loin in a plastic bag then store in the fridge to infuse for as long as you’ve got. Eight hours is great; overnight is even better! But if you only have a couple of hours don’t let this put you off. However long you’re marinating, move the bag around from time to time to distribute the marinade.  

Two hours before serving, heat your oven to 190°C and remove the loin from the fridge to bring it to room temperature. 

Heat The Old Dutch over a low heat on the stovetop and lightly sauté the onions, ginger, celery and lime leaves in the left over pork fat, stirring every now and then until the onions are translucent but not brown. Add wine, water and stock and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on.

Nestle the marinated loin, seam side down, on top of the onion mix and drizzle any leftover marinade over the meat. Roast in the oven with the lid on for 35 minutes. 

Remove The Old Dutch from the oven. Turn your heat down to 180°C. Remove the loin from the pot onto a plate. Stir the rice and turmeric into the pot with the onions and stock. Have a little taste. Is it salty enough? Do you want to add some chilli? The choice is yours. 

Return the rice mix to the oven and cook for 25 - 30mins more with the lid off.  Stir in a little more boiling water if you think it seems a little dry.

As the rice cooks, heat The Old Dutch lid to smoking hot, add 1 T of olive oil and sear the pork loin on all sides until brown and crunchy. Wrap the loin in tinfoil and let it rest in a warm place for 10 - 15 minutes. The rice should be almost cooked by now. Give it a stir and fluff it up.  

Return the loin and any meat juice into The Old Dutch pot with the rice and cook a further few minutes until a meat thermometer reads 71°C. 

Sprinkle with freshly zested lime and squeeze the lime juice all over the rice.  Finish with a sprinkle of salt flakes and serve hot to the table. 

The perfect accompaniment in our opinion? A crunchy purple coleslaw with a creamy mayonnaise.