Without being too immodest, you know when you've achieved the status of 'good cook' when you can dream up something like this while walking around the supermarket. Bloody fantastic, and well worth a try.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 2 lean pork loin steaks
• Irish white pudding
• Salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil
• 4 shallots
• A large knob of butter
• 1/2 pint pork stock (or chicken stock)
• 1/2 pint dry cider
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1/2 pint double cream

To accompany

• 2 large potatoes
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

What to do

1. Put the potatoes on to boil
2. Slit each pork steak lengthways down the middle. Season the inside well with salt and pepper, and stuff with as much white pudding as you can. Squeeze the edges back together.
3. Put the pork steaks in a shallow baking dish, drizzle with a little olive oil, and place in an oven at 190°C (375°F, Gas Mark 5) for 30 minutes.
4. Chop the shallots finely. Melt the butter over a low flame and gently fry the shallots for about 8 minutes. Do not let the butter burn.
5. Add the pork stock to the shallots, turn the heat up to a moderate boil, and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
6. Add the cider and cider vinegar to the sauce, simmer gently for another 5 minutes.
7. Add the cream to the sauce, stir well, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
8. Drain the potatoes and mash with a little butter and the mustard.
9. Removing the pork from the oven, trim all the fat off. Serve on top of the mashed potato with a generous helping of the sauce.

Back to my recipe book.