Pork with Jerusalem Artichokes
/ Χοιρινό Με Αγκινάρες Ιερουσαλήμ
Jerusalem artichoke (also known as Yelarmassi), has no relation to the globe artichoke but is a cousin of the sunflower. It looks like a thick, fat ginger or knobbly potato, and has a sweet nutty flavour. It grows very well in England; my mother used to grow it in her back garden in Cheetham Hill, Manchester. The plants grow very tall and take over the garden.
Yelarmassi are notorious for one thing – they cause flatulence, causing you to break wind but I hope this doesn’t put you off making the dish!
The reason for the flatulence is that the carbohydrate in Jerusalem artichoke is inulin, a type of prebiotic fibre that is found in many plant-based foods. The human body doesn’t make digestive enzymes that can break down inulin. Instead of being digested in the stomach and small intestine, it travels through the digestive system to the large intestine where it feeds gut bacteria. Inulin is found in many common foods, including onions and garlic. The most inulin-rich foods are chicory root and Jerusalem artichoke. However, inulin causes bacteria to produce a lot of gas, which can cause flatulence and abdominal pain and for this reason, it should be consumed in moderation.
Ingredients (serves 4-6):
1kg (2lb) pork cut into medium pieces
4-6 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
1kg (2lb) Jerusalem artichokes
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp flour
450g (1lb) ripe tomatoes, blended, or use 400ml Passata (blended tomatoes)
1tbsp tomato puree
500ml chicken stock
1 tsp sugar
2-3 tbsp fresh, chopped dill
2-3 tbsp chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Peel and wash the Jerusalem artichokes. If they are too big, cut them in half.
Season the pork with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or a wok, and fry the pork until brown all over, then remove and place aside.
Season Jerusalem artichokes and fry in the same frying pan until golden, adding more oil if necessary, and place aside.
Sauté the onions until transparent, then sprinkle the flour over and cook for a minute or two.
Return the meat to the pan, mix in the tomato puree, tomatoes, and sugar. Cook for 4-5 minutes then add the Jerusalem artichokes and stock, bringing everything to a low boil for about 4-5 minutes.
Mix in the dill and parsley, lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until meat is tender.
Taste and adjust seasoning, serve and enjoy!
You can also cook it in the oven.
