Ibérico pork loin with sherry roasted tomatoes, peppers and butter beans
By:
Jess Meyer
Former deputy food editor, delicious.
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Published: 16 Jun 21
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Updated: 18 Mar 24
Serve Iberico pork loin for two with roasted tomatoes, peppers and butter beans. A fuss-free twist on a classic pork roast with summery flavours.
Love bold Spanish dishes? Our Spanish-style pork chops with new potatoes and olives serves 4.
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Serves 2
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Hands-on time 20 min, plus resting
Ingredients
- Double thickness Ibérico pork loin chop, about 500g (see Know-how)
- 250g cherry or plum tomatoes on the vine (we used a mix of both 2-3 romano peppers, halved lengthways and deseeded
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 100ml fino sherry
- 25g unsalted butter
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 400g can butter beans, rinsed and drained
- Crusty bread to serve
For the almond and rocket picada
- 1 slice rustic white bread
- 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for a looser sauce (optional)
- 1 small garlic clove, thinly sliced
- 50g toasted almonds, plus a few extra, roughly chopped, to serve
- 50g rocket leaves
- 2 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and chopped
- Grated zest and juice 1 lemon
Method
- Heat the oven to 180°C fan/gas 6. Season the pork all over with salt and set aside for 30-60 minutes to come to room temperature.
- Put the tomatoes, peppers, garlic, sherry and butter in the roasting tin/dish. Sprinkle over the fennel seeds, then drizzle over 2 tbsp of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the picada. Brush the bread with 1 tbsp of the picada oil, then toast in a heavy-based frying pan or skillet over a medium heat, turning once, until golden and crisp. Remove and set aside to cool. Add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the sliced garlic, stirring, for 1-2 minutes.
- Roughly tear the toasted bread into the bowl of a food processor. Add the fried garlic and any oil from the pan, along with the rest of the picada ingredients and a pinch of salt. Whizz until finely chopped. Alternatively, finely chop everything by hand, then mix in a bowl for a slightly more rustic finish. If you want a more saucy consistency, stir in some extra olive oil. Set aside.
- Put the frying pan over a high heat. Brush the remaining oil over the pork, then sear for 2-3 minutes all over.
- After 30 minutes, remove the veg from the oven and stir in the butter beans. Nestle the pork into the veg, then return to the oven. Turn the oven down to 160°C fan/gas 4 and roast for 10-15 minutes until cooked to your liking. Rest the pork for 5-10 minutes in a warm place, then slice. Divide between 2 plates, add the roasted veg and beans, then drizzle over the cooking juices. Serve with picada drizzled over, with the roughly chopped toasted almonds and, if you like, crusty bread.
Recipe from June 2021 Issue
Nutrition
Nutrition: per serving
- Calories
- 879kcals
- Fat
- 45.8g (12.4g saturated)
- Protein
- 68.9g
- Carbohydrates
- 37g (12.8g sugars)
- Fibre
- 15.2g
- Salt
- 0.6g
delicious. tips
Easy swaps: If you can’t get hold of Ibérico pork, use outdoor-reared pork loin chops, or switch to a British rose veal ribeye.
Scale it up: Double or triple the recipe if you like (adjust the roasting dish size). Ask your butcher to prepare the meat as a loin rack and adjust the cooking times.
Don’t waste it: Keep leftover picada covered and in the fridge for up to 4 days. Add to sandwiches or toss with pasta or barbecued/ roasted veg for a flavour boost.
The Iberian pig breed, from Spain and Portugal, is known for its excellent ham, but recently the fresh meat, the ‘Wagyu of pork’, has become fashionable. The best stuff is from acorn-fed pigs. Find it at good butchers and at hgwalter.com and brindisa.com. Picada is a sauce from eastern Spain.