Well, these Dingley Dell T-bone pork steaks are definitely something different. We buy 800g–1kg pork steaks and they are perfect for two to share. Cooking a large piece of pork instead of two individual steaks saves on pan space, plus cooking this thicker cut of pork on the bone helps to keep the meat succulent and juicy. A win win situation as far as I’m concerned.

We do not like to overcook our pork; with these timings the pork will be medium instead of well done. Around the bone the meat will still be slightly pink, but do not be put off. Just make sure that you give the cooked meat long enough to rest after cooking (which will ensure that you have no unwanted juices ending up on your plate).

I have marinated this piece of pork with a little garlic and thyme for a minimum of 12 hours before cooking; it’s your choice if you prefer not to, but I think it’s a nice touch and adds extra value to an amazing piece of pork.

This recipe is one inspired by my many food shopping crusades to London, where I enjoy snooping around the streets and small shops of Brick Lane, China Town in Soho and Borough Market, to name but a few.

The pork is my version of the now very popular and fashionable pulled pork. If you’re not keen on spicy food, then I recommend that you tone down the pepper and chillies. Fresh peppercorns are amazing and if you are lucky enough to get hold of them I highly recommend that you give them a go – they are incredibly fragrant and immensely complex in flavour.

This dish is a main meal in itself and does not need anything to accompany, but you can serve some plain steamed rice with it to tone down the intensity a little, if you like. My preferred option is to leave room for a delicious pudding instead!

This recipe was the first time I made Chinese pancakes and I loved them. Most impressively, it’s the quickest and most enjoyable recipe I think I have ever done with only three ingredients. Once you have made these pancakes, you will never buy them again. Please trust me on this recipe and follow the steps word for word; it does take a few moments to work it all out, but once mastered, it’s plain sailing.

The rhubarb ketchup is great fun too and the recipe makes plenty (see Chef’s Note). It will not go to waste and can be served with plenty of other dishes such as venison burgers or partridge kebabs.

Personally, I like goose and dislike turkey, so goose is my preference for Christmas day. For me, goose has to be cooked medium-rare as I don’t like well-done goose, which tastes of liver and the texture is off-putting. For this reason, I don’t buy a whole goose for roasting as the legs require a long roasting time to cook them well, whereas the breasts require less cooking and are best served medium-rare. One tip when cooking goose breasts is to ask your butcher to take the breasts off the bone for you, as this eliminates a lot of hassle and saves time too.

This recipe is fairly simple to make and delicious to eat. If you do have gadgets as I do, see the Chef’s Notes below for alternative instructions on how to cook the goose breasts in a water bath or sous-vide. The results are pretty similar.

I serve the roast breasts with braised white cabbage and pancetta. It’s tasty and doesn’t require too much preparation. It also means that when your guests arrive, all the work is done and you can sit back, relax and enjoy all the compliments that this recipe is sure to trigger.

Cooking and eating pies at this time of the year provides a welcome comforting ‘hug’, making you feel that the cold and gloom are not so bad after all. The game season is in full swing now and I particularly enjoy cooking with venison. It’s packed full of flavour, contains very little fat and is a bit different. During the summer we cook and serve a lot of beef, so when the game season begins it’s great as it offers us more variety, and I like a bit of variety.

Venison can be very strong in flavour, so make sure when you buy it from your butcher you know exactly what it is that you are getting. Your butcher will be able to tell you if it’s fallow, muntjac or red dear. They all vary a bit in flavour, so choose according to your preference.

These delicious venison pies are perfect for providing a comforting autumnal meal. The carrot and potato rösti topping is a different variation on the norm of using either mashed potato or pastry (you could even try using celeriac instead of the potato).

I have made these in four individual serving dishes, but if you prefer a large family-style pie, use one large serving dish and remember that the pie will require a slightly longer cooking time. Serve simply with plenty of crusty bread to mop up the delicious juices.

It was a memorable family occasion, because my parents boiled the corn in this enormous saucepan filled with salted water until soft, then we would sit around the table with napkins and lashings of margarine, salt and pepper. My mother only served white sliced bread with it and it was heaven. I loved it.

I also remember us all sitting around afterwards (like baboons!) with the toothpicks, removing the bits stuck between our teeth. When my mother reads this she will probably want to kick me on the shins, as she’ll probably want to die of embarrassment! I hope you have a good giggle reading this, as it’s the absolute truth!

Following on from the gigantic saucepan, mum eventually upgraded to a microwave. It’s quite a fancy model and she uses it for cooking or baking most things, and consequently, she has taught me the best, quickest and least messy way to cook corn on the cob. I am chuffed, after all these years, that I still cook my corn in the microwave as mum taught me.

So, to cook corn on the cob my mum’s way, simply wrap each prepared corn on the cob in a double layer of kitchen paper, soak the whole wrapped cobs in water, then place in a microwave and cook on High (100% power) for 9–12 minutes, then leave to rest in the microwave with the door closed for a further 9 minutes. Hey presto, job done!

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.

To confit duck legs in duck or goose fat is one of the techniques I absolutely adore. The texture and flavour is second to none. I also use the sous-vide technique to cook duck legs, which is the healthier option, but sometimes we have to give in to the things that simply taste the best. The beauty about cooking duck legs in duck or goose fat is that they will keep very well in the fridge, if kept submerged in the fat, for up to a week. This in itself is brilliant as you can put a lot of effort into cooking the legs and then use them in various different recipes; I think that is a real bonus.

I serve these duck legs with one of my favourite recipes, which is a warm bacon dressing drizzled over a salad of sautéed potatoes, samphire and broad beans. What is there not to like about this?!

Perfect al fresco dining for this time of the year, and a little effort goes a long way in taste!

I had been harping on for weeks before that I would like to have a go at making salami and cured meats. Well, one thing led to another, and Richard brought this book for me to read, pointing out that he had spotted bresaola in the book and did I fancy giving it a go. Before reading the recipes, I ordered the meat and then after reading both bresaola recipes, I realised that I did not have the cure #2 to hand and had to resort to the wet cure recipe.

It was delicious and I was very happy with the recipe, but the nagging thing in my mind was that I should try the dry cure version too. My results for the first recipe were great, actually both recipes were superb, but from a flavour point of view I prefer the wet cure, and from an aesthetic colour point of view I prefer the dry cure. So, I made up my own version very much based on Diana’s dry cure with the addition of a few extra spices and the orange – I thoroughly enjoyed the taste of the orange in the wet cure and for that reason I then incorporated it into the dry cure recipe.

The ideal temperature to hang the bresaola is at between 10–15°C (with relative humidity at 70–80% – see Cook’s Notes); at this temperature they should be hung for 3 weeks. A cool, dark, well-ventilated shed or room is ideal, but I don’t trust any of my sheds, and the outside temperature fluctuates so much that I decided to use a normal domestic fridge at around 5°C; it’s a bit cooler than the desired temperature and for that reason I hang the bresaola for a week longer (4 weeks in total). I have also left the spices quite rough and big, which not only looks great but also creates an interesting eat. That true home-made experience.

The salt-baked parsnips are simply wonderful. I have had plenty of salt-baked celeriac at various restaurants in the past and this triggered and inspired me to try parsnips. These are a triumph in their own right – they have the perfect texture and unique earthy taste to complement the bresaola.

This is the kind of recipe you should plan to make when you have a weekend of guests, such as family and friends, coming to stay. Plonk the ‘meat’ in the middle of the table with a carving knife and fork and plenty of freshly baked soda bread and home-made butter, plus a bowlful of warm salt-baked parsnips and parsnip remoulade – OK, so it’s a bit extravagant, but it’s heaven! Do not forget the Gewürztraminer or Barolo, whichever takes your fancy – both if it’s me. I think Diana Henry would approve of this kind of fare too.

Talking about books, I have bought quite a few books on curing over the past month or so and I can honestly say that not one includes all the information you need. It’s such a specialist subject and I am curious as to why no one has written a technical step-by-step book on making salami and curing meat. It’s been driving me crazy. I would like one book to tell me all the do’s and don’ts, all the pitfalls, and to give me accurate information on preservatives, how to dry the meat and how to hang the meat. I do not need books telling me how to use ham or salami or how to make croque monsieur – arrggh! It’s clearly bugging me and I almost feel more confused now than before I started my mission.

From the information that I can gather the basic and simple principles are that you have to:

• work in a clean environment using clean utensils and equipment; hygiene is very important
• use the best and freshest ingredients you can find
• follow the process step-by-step
• use your nose; if it smells off or at all dodgy, chuck it out!
• read up as much as you possibly can about the process
• note everything you do word for word; it’s always good to keep a record for future reference

People ask me if I have tried to make chorizo, but no, this is not chorizo. I use spices I enjoy and like, so OK it might have a bit of a kick due to a bit of cayenne pepper, but it’s all pure and authentically made in Suffolk with my own fair hands, using my own ratio of spices, and using the best Suffolk-reared pig I can find, and most importantly, I have cut every piece of meat by hand. My point of view is that if you want maximum pleasure out of something, then you have to put in some real effort.

Making these salamis and a few other cured meats, such as bresaola, pancetta and koppa, I experienced the most amazing foodie buzz. It gave me a wonderful feeling of excitement and great achievement, and it was a very proud moment once they were all made and ready to hang.

If I was not a chef by trade and needed a hobby, I think this would be it – making salami. OK, decision made, it’s now my hobby, so how lucky am I, not only is it my hobby but it’s also my job! Simply brilliant!