Pork Loin Steaks with Mozzarella Cheese

Did you know ... "Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig. It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved. Curing extends the shelf life of the pork products. Ham, smoked pork, gammon, bacon and sausage are examples of preserved pork. Charcuterie is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, many from pork." ... you can read more about Pork here

I do like to include Pork in my weekly menu plans, and there are so many ways to cook and enjoy it, take this suggestion for instance … 

Ingredients

Serves Four

4 lean thick pork loin steaks (about 2cm (1in) thickness)
50g (2oz) mozzarella cheese or similar, thickly sliced into 4
8 fresh sage leaves
4 slices Parma style ham or streaky bacon
salt

ground black pepper

Method
1. Preheat oven to gas 4, 180ºC, fan 160ºC. Place an empty baking tray in oven to heat through.
2. Place the pork steaks on a board, and with a sharp knife carefully make a slit horizontally into the non-fat edge of the pork. Continue until you have created a shallow pocket to stuff.
3. Take a slice of cheese and two sage leaves and push into the pocket. Season and wrap each steak in a slice of ham or bacon.

4. Heat oil in a frying pan and seal steaks on both sides. Place on the hot tray (that has been preheated in the oven) and cook for about 15-20 minutes until browned and cooked through.

Nutritional Information (for recipe above) per serving

Fat 15g Carbs 0g Protein 52.8g

Optional Servings

(Depending on your choice of serving will add to the nutritional details above)

Seasonal green salad, crushed new potatoes and mixed olives.

Cauliflower Mash, see details here 
Celeriac Mash, more here 

Recipe from an original idea here

The colour of downy sage leaves and their flavour varies but, in essence, sage is a very strongly aromatic and slightly bitter herb that can withstand long cooking times without losing its flavour.

The strong flavour of sage means that a little goes a long way, especially if you're using dried leaves, so use sparingly. Sage goes well with pork, beef, duck and chicken recipes, and fatty meats in particular. In Italy it is commonly chopped, mixed with melted butter and served stirred into pasta or gnocchi. Fry sage leaves with liver or kidneys, or try dipping them into a light batter and deep-frying - they can be used to garnish dishes or eaten as a snack.

Words and picture about sage taken from here

A variety of articles and recipe ideas are found within this blog. Please note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan