Mexicans love pork. It features in most of our traditional feasts and celebrations and I use it a lot. I never paid much attention to my pork. I would buy it in the supermarket or the local butcher like everybody else, but a little over a year ago, I met this very nice lady, another food blogger like me, who came bearing the lovely gift of some home made sausages. The sausages looked different, very red and non-uniform in size. When we tried them a few days later we couldn't believe how tasty they were. That lady was Margaret O'Farrell, from Old Farm, and pork eating has never been the same.
Meet Margaret and Alfie. They are the two lovely people who breed, house, love, feed and generally look after the pork I eat. They are the pair behind the fantastic pork in Old Farm. Their small free range farm is located at the top of a beautiful green hill in Redwood, Co. Tipperary. Only a couple of minutes from the tiny, historical village of Lorrha with a ton of monastic heritage and its pretty Redwood Castle. Their pigs are free range and GMO free, they eat barley and apples, organic fresh fruit and vegetables donated by a local farmers. They eat all the stetically rejected, but perfectly good, rounds of organic Mossfield cheese (one of my favourite Irish cheesees) and whatever else they find in the rummagings of the fields where they wander all day long. Alfie and Margaret's pigs are happy pigs, which in turn makes good, healthy and delicious meat.
When I make my Cochinita Pibil, one of the most popular recipes on the blog, I always use Old Farm's free range pork. The meat, slowly cooked in a combination of spices, chili and anato seeds called achiote, is so tender and juicy it falls off the bones completely and the ruby colour of the achiote dissolved in the juices of this gorgeous pork meat is so rich and intensive that it sends ripples of sunshine into your taste buds even before you try a spoonful of this on a gently heated corn tortilla. Pure bliss.
We order a small box of mixed pork meat with them every month or so. They have a next day delivery service to your door and, believe you me, the meat is fabulous! They also make the best pork lard in the country. Today I'm going to share with you a recipe I use when I have Old Farm sausages and I'm in the mood for something quick and delicious. Enjoy!
Heat the oil in a deep, non-stick pan at medium heat. Using scissors, cut the sausages into bite size chunks and fry them in the oily pan until they are golden and crispy.
Add the garlic and onion and stir to combine. Cook for two minutes or until the onion is translucent and pour the wine letting the flavours coat the sausages until the wine has almost evaporated all.
Add the tinned tomatoes, the sugar and ketchup and stir well. Immediately after, incorporate all the fresh herbs and milk and lower the heat to a minimum. Season with salt and pepper and cover the pan and let it simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
While the sauce is gently simmering towards its last 10 minutes, cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions. When ready, drain it and mix it with the now ready sausage sauce. Serve it hot with some freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste and enjoy with a nice glass of wine and some warmed sour dough bread brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt.
There you have it! A delicious family meal, cooked and prepped in less than an hour with very little washing up to do! I urge you to try it with Old Farm meaty sausages, they are like mini pork meatballs: deliciously satisfying!
