Inspired to be a better cook...

Meat, glorious meat. So far most of the carnivore recipes that I've posted have been pork. Strange. It is not as though we eat only pork, or that we have it all that often. But when cooked with some consideration, it sure is good. Something about the sweet flesh and salty fat. Oh, tasty.

As I've been watching more than my fair share of MasterChef, I've been encouraged to consider cooking a little more than usual at the moment. The question the judges on the show often ask is, "how does it look on the plate?" While I've not gotten too fussed about this question, I have tried to experiment with techniques and tastes. Such as rhubarb and pork. Such as pounding up some herbs, rubbing them over meat before making a passel by wrapping in bacon. And this worked. It looked interesting, it had depth and variety of flavour. Plus it didn't take too long to make, perfect for a fancy meal mid-week.

Pork passels with rhubarb.

Serves 2

Handful of herbs - I used garlic chives as they are growing in the garden

1 clove garlic

2 tbs olive oil

2 pork loin chops

salt and pepper to taste

2 rashes middle bacon, thinly sliced

two handfuls diced rhubarb

In a mortar and pestle, combine the herbs and garlic, pounding to form a smooth paste. Add the olive oil to loosen the mix. Season with a little salt and a good grind of pepper. Rub over your pork chops and leave to marinate for around an hour.

Pre-heat oven to 220* C. Wrap a rash of bacon around each pork chop. Heat a frying pan over low heat with a little extra oil. Gently fry the bacon-wrapped chops until they get a little colour. This is simply to start the cooking process and ensure your bacon is not too pastey.

Line a roasting tray with baking paper. Heap the rhubarb in the centre of the tray and place the pork passels on top. Wet a piece of baking paper and scrunch it up. Open out and place over the top of the pork. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and bake for a further 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with super fresh veggies. Enjoy!

Adapted from Jamie Oliver's Happy Days with the Naked Chef.