How to cook salt baked rump of pork, pickled pear, smoked almonds, rocket pesto. Recipe by Matt Gilan, chef owner, Pike and Pine

Ingredients

• 1pork rump
• 800 gstrong flour
• 350 gsalt
• 8egg whites
• 200 gwater
• 50 gsmoked almonds
• 50 gParmesan
• 1 clovegarlic
• 30 grocket
• 2 pinchessalt
• to tastepomace oil
• 100 gsugar
• 10 gwater
• 5 gsalt
• 4Williams pears
• 2Williams pears
• 250 gwater
• 100 gwhite wine
• 75 gwhite wine vinegar
• 2star anise
• 1cinnamon stick, crushed
• 1 teaspooncoriander seeds
• 1 teaspoonpink peppercorns
• 200 gwhite cabbage, finely sliced
• 1onion, finely sliced
• 300 gchicken stock
• to tastecider vinegar
• to tastesalt
• 500 gdark stock
• 50 gmuscovado sugar
• 100 gapple juice
• 4star anise
• 2tonka beans
• 1cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspooncardamom pods
• 1 teaspooncaraway seeds

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mix the flour and salt in a large mixer. Add the egg whites and mix, then add the water. Combine until a dough forms, leave it to rest for 30 minutes, then roll it out.

2. 2

   Wrap the pork

   Lay the pork rump fat side down on the dough. Put a couple of pieces of lemongrass and a couple of sprigs of thyme on the pork, then seal the dough around it.

3. 3

   Bake the pork

   Put the wrapped rump on a tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake at 180°C for 20–25 minutes, depending on the size of the rump.

4. 4

   Blend the pesto

   Blend the almonds, garlic, Parmesan, rocket and salt until fairly smooth. Add enough oil to loosen the paste.

5. 5

   Crystalise the almonds

   Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to 155°C and remove from the heat. Keep stirring the nuts until they crystalise, then leave them to cool.

6. 6

   Roast the pears

   Put the pears on a tray and bake at 180°C for 30–40 minutes, until soft.

7. 7

   Blend the purée

   Blend the roasted pears until smooth, then pass the purée through a fine sieve.

8. 8

   Make the pear syrup

   Put all the pickling ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Take the pan off the heat and let the syrup cool.

9. 9

   Prepare the pears

   Peel the pears and put them in a vacuum bag. Pour in the syrup with the spices, then seal the bag tightly.

10. 10

    Cook the pears

    Put the bag in a water bath heated to 85°C and cook for 2 hours.

11. 11

    Cook the cabbage

    Heat a heavy-bottomed saucepan with a little oil. Add the onion and cook gently, then add the cabbage and cook until it starts to colour. Add the chicken stock and cover the pan with cling film. Cook until soft, then remove the cling film and take out the cabbage, leaving the stock in the pan. Reduce the stock to a glaze, return the cabbage to it, season with salt and vinegar to your taste, and take the pan off the heat.

12. 12

    Infuse the sauce

    Put the sugar and apple juice in a pan and bring to the boil. Add the stock and spices, bring to the boil again, then remove from the heat. Keep warm and leave to infuse for 20 minutes.

13. 13

    Strain the sauce

    Strain the sauce through a chinois and muslin if possible.

What is salt-baked pork rump?

Salt-baking cooks food inside a firm crust made from flour, salt and liquid. The technique has roots in several culinary traditions, and this version wraps pork rump in a dough shell before baking it.

The accompaniments make the plate distinctive: pickled pear and cabbage bring acidity, roasted pear adds sweetness, and rocket pesto and smoked almonds contribute savoury, herbal notes.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 760 calories, 43g protein, 79g carbs, 27g fat.

The pork provides most of the protein, while the flour crust, sugar, pears and apple juice contribute carbohydrates. Fat comes mainly from the pork, almonds, Parmesan and oil; serve with extra cabbage or another vegetable to round out the plate.

The salt dough and pork

Dough: mix until it comes together, then give it the full 30-minute rest before rolling; this makes it easier to handle. The recipe places the rump fat side down and seals it inside the dough.

Aromatics: the method adds lemongrass and thyme before sealing, although they are not listed among the supplied ingredients. The recipe gives a baking time of 20–25 minutes at 180°C, depending on the rump's size.

Building the pear flavours

Roasted pears: bake the four pears at 180°C for 30–40 minutes, until soft, then blend and sieve them for a smooth purée.

Pickled pears: the two pears are cooked in a spiced syrup in a sealed vacuum bag at 85°C for 2 hours. Let the syrup cool before bagging the fruit, as directed.

Getting the accompaniments right

Pesto: blend the smoked almonds, Parmesan, garlic, rocket and salt, then add pomace oil gradually until the paste loosens. The intended finish is fairly smooth rather than completely liquid.

Cabbage: cook the onion gently and allow the cabbage to colour before adding stock. The recipe reduces the leftover stock to a glaze, then returns the cabbage to it and adjusts the acidity with cider vinegar.

Finishing the sauce and almonds

Spiced sauce: boil the sugar with apple juice, add the stock and spices, then leave it warm to infuse for 20 minutes. Straining through a chinois and muslin, if available, removes the whole spices.

Crystallised almonds: bring the sugar mixture to 155°C, remove it from the heat and keep stirring the nuts until they crystalise. Leave them to cool before serving.

Serving the dish

This is a multi-component plate, so prepare the pears, cabbage, sauce, pesto and almonds while planning around the pork's bake. The recipe does not specify how to carve or plate the rump, so serve the components together in whatever arrangement suits your table.

The sweet pear and warm spices work alongside the pork, while the pickled fruit and vinegar-seasoned cabbage add sharper flavours. Keep the pesto and crystallised almonds as contrasting finishing elements.

Recipe notes & tips

• Rest the dough for the full 30 minutes before rolling it out.
• Seal the dough around the rump so the pork is enclosed as the recipe directs.
• Use a thermometer capable of measuring 155°C for the crystallised almonds.
• Let the pear syrup cool before adding it to the vacuum bag.
• Prepare the cabbage and sauce while the pears cook to make the multi-part recipe easier to manage.

Variations

• Herb swap: use another fresh herb in place of the thyme if preferred.
• Pear balance: serve the roasted purée and pickled pears in separate portions so each flavour stays distinct.
• Nut change: try another smoked nut in place of the almonds, keeping in mind that the flavour will differ.
• Cabbage choice: use another finely sliced cabbage if white cabbage is unavailable.
• Vinegar adjustment: add the cider vinegar gradually to set the cabbage's tang to your liking.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the dough rest: give it 30 minutes so it can be rolled out more easily.
• Overcooking the pears: check them within the stated 30–40 minutes and remove them once soft.
• Adding hot syrup to the bag: let it cool first, as the method specifies.
• Leaving the cabbage in the pan: remove it before reducing the stock, then return it to the glaze.
• Stopping the almond stirring too soon: keep stirring after taking the pan off the heat until the nuts crystalise.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in covered containers and use within 3 days. Store the separate components apart where possible, and reheat the pork and cabbage until hot; keep the pesto and crystallised almonds aside until serving.

Frequently asked questions