Paprika Roast Pork

My quest for slow roast pork dishes continues and the search is gong rather well.  I came across this recipe in another magazine filched from my Mother.  House Beautiful April 2011

Paprika Roast Pork

serves 6

1 lemon

1.25kg Pork shoulder, bones and rolled

2 cloves garlic, slivered

2 tsp paprika

6 rashers streaky bacon

4 sprigs fresh Thyme

For the stuffing

4 rashers back bacon, finely chopped

50g mushrooms, diced

110g fresh breadcrumbs

2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

50g Stilton crumbled

Grate the zest of half the lemon, cut three rounds off the other end of the lemon, then squeeze out the juice.  keep all to one side.

Cut slits into the pork and insert the garlic slivers, then place into a roasting pan.  Mix the lemon juice and paprika and spread it all over the pork. Lay the rashers of bacon, lemon slices and sprigs of thyme over the top of the joint.

Place into the oven at 190oc/170oc fan GM5, cover loosely with foil if the bacon browns too much. Cook for 35mins per 500g, plus 35 mins.

Make the stuffing.  Dry fry the bacon on a frying pan for 3-4 minutes, add the mushrooms, cook for a further 1-2 minutes then add the breadcrumbs, thyme, Stilton and lemon zest.  Mix well and remove from heat.

Either form into 6-8 balls and roast on a tray with the pork 20 mins from the end of cooking time, or I put the mixture into a lightly buttered pyrex dish to roast for 30 mins from end of cooking time.

Remove pork and allow to rest and make a gravy from the juices.

Serve up in thick slices and green beans and new potatoes.

The pictures are from my first attempt, in which I only had a loin joint to hand and had butterflied the joint before I re-read the recipe and realised I did not need to stuff it with the stuffing!  I did however put a couple of lemon slices, thyme sprigs, paprika rub and bacon inside, this help the flavour go all the way through the dish.  Pork and garlic is delicious, never knew that before, the stuffing is so tasty, I did add extra mushrooms and bacon to subsequent attempts, the lemon zest really comes through to balance everything out.