Griddled Pork Steaks with Home-made Black Seed Mustard, Runners and Courgettes
Griddled Pork Steaks with Home-made Black Seed Mustard, Runners and Courgettes

Griddled Pork Steaks with Home-made Black Seed Mustard, Runners and Courgettes

  • Prep time:

  • Cook time:

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  • Portion/Yield:

    Serves 4

  • Difficulty:

    Intermediate

With summer in full swing now, lighter eating is often preferred, and so too are dishes that do not require too many hours slaving away in the kitchen. This recipe is easy as most of the preparation takes place in advance and the cooking part of it takes very little time.

For the cooking of the pork and courgettes I have used a griddle pan, and it’s given me the closest results to a barbecue (I know the taste is not quite the same, but it’s pretty close if you ask me). If you do have a barbecue then these pork steaks are perfect for that. The runners dressed in the home-made mustard make a wonderful salad served warm or at room temperature, and they are great with the griddled (or barbecued) pork steaks.

The inspiration for the home-made mustard came from Diana Henry’s cookbook ‘Salt Sugar Smoke’. I have referred to this book in another recipe, as I simply love this book. It’s inspired me to try making recipes that I either never had the guts to do, or would have liked to try but have never really known how to approach the task, one of those being how to make wholegrain mustard. Diana’s book is sophisticated simplicity in its own right and I am finding that it is bringing me many times of endless fun and joy. I have altered Diana’s mustard recipe to suit the ingredients stocked in my larder. I only had black mustard seeds and the spices where changed because again it’s what I had to hand. The mustard does make a generous amount, but it will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three months.

I am very proud to say that the honey I have used is from our own hives. The bees have been busy this year and so we have had great success in harvesting quite a significant amount of honey from our hives, which is always such a pleasure.photo of Griddled Pork Steaks with Home-made Black Seed Mustard, Runners and Courgettesphoto of Griddled Pork Steaks with Home-made Black Seed Mustard, Runners and Courgettes

Ingredients & Method

For the home-made black seed mustard

  • 120g black mustard seeds
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 160ml cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • a pinch of sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground mace
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 50ml clear (runny) honey
  • finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

For the griddled pork steaks

  • 4 x 150g lean boneless, rindless pork steaks (cut from the loin)
  • finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 clove garlic, lightly crushed
  • 1 teaspoon clear (runny) honey
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

For the runners and courgettes

  • 2 medium-sized courgettes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 320g fresh young runner beans (trimmed weight), trimmed and sliced on a angle into 6cm lengths
  • 1 tablespoon Home-made Black Seed Mustard (see above)
  • ¼ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, to serve

First, start the mustard-making process. Combine all the mustard ingredients in a non-metallic container or bowl, then cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours but preferably overnight. This allows enough time for the mustard seeds to rehydrate.

The following day, place the mustard mixture in a blender and blend until you achieve the appearance of coarse-grain mustard. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Transfer the mustard to a clean, sterilised jam jar, place a wax disc on top, cover and seal, then chill in the fridge until needed. The mustard will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 months.

For the griddled pork steaks, first marinate the pork. Place the steaks in a plastic container, then add the lemon zest, thyme, garlic, honey, oil and black pepper and rub into the pork all over. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. The longer you leave the pork to marinate the more the flavour will develop.

When you are ready to cook the steaks, heat a griddle pan over a high heat until hot, season the pork steaks generously with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, then cook the steaks for 4–5 minutes on each side – the griddle marks will become dark and the steaks will turn golden brown (the aim is to cook the pork until it’s medium; if overcooked, the pork will become dry and have a woolly texture). Transfer the cooked steaks to a cooling rack set over a tray, squeeze the lemon juice over the pork, then cover with foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes or so while you cook the courgettes and runners. (see cook’s notes)

For the runners and courgettes, heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Meanwhile, cut the courgettes lengthways into 3–4mm-thick slices, then drizzle over half of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Griddle the courgette slices for about 2 minutes on each side, or until they are cooked and dark griddle marks appear. Transfer the cooked courgettes to a tray and keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook the runner beans in a pan of boiling lightly salted water for about 2 minutes or until al dente. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked runner beans to a mixing bowl, then add the rest of the oil, the mustard and some salt and pepper, toss to mix and keep warm.

Divide the courgettes and runners between 4 serving plates, place a griddled pork steak on each plate, sprinkle over the thyme and serve each portion with a teaspoon or so of the home-made black seed mustard on the side.

Cook’s notes

You could also barbecue the pork steaks over medium heat for same cooking times as above.