Reverse-Seared Tomapork Steaks with Gooseberry Glaze and Garden Sauce

Method

Make the gooseberry glaze

1. Pour the chicken bone broth, apple cider and cider vinegar into a wide-based saucepan. Simmer over a medium heat until reduced to 300ml.
2. Stir the gooseberry jam into the warm liquid until fully combined.
3. Soak the gelatine sheets in a shallow tray of cold water for around 5 minutes.
   5 min timer
4. Lift out the gelatine, squeeze away the excess water and stir it into the warm glaze until dissolved.
5. Pour the glaze into a clean, airtight container and refrigerate until needed.
   Why this mattersThis makes a large batch of glaze, so you may have some left over. Warm the amount you need gently before brushing it onto the pork.

Make the garden sauce

1. Put all the ingredients into a powerful blender.
2. Pulse a few times until you have a loose green sauce. Do not blend it completely smooth. You should still be able to see small pieces of herbs and radish.
3. Season with salt and pepper. If it is too thick, add olive oil 1 tbsp at a time and cider vinegar 1 tsp at a time, only as needed until it has the consistency of chimichurri.
   Why this mattersThis also makes a large batch. Keep it covered in the fridge and bring it towards room temperature before serving.

Set up your Charlie Oven

1. Light around half a football’s worth of good-quality lumpwood charcoal. Bring the Charlie Oven to 100 to 120°C (210 to 250°F).
2. Place a cooking rack in the middle of the oven so the steaks sit well above the charcoal.
3. Add one small chunk of smoking wood to the hot charcoal just before the pork goes into the oven. Wait for the heavy white smoke to clear. A fine stream of pale blue smoke from the chimney means the steaks are ready to go in.

Smoke the Tomapork steaks

1. Season the steaks on both sides with a little fine sea salt.
2. Place them on the middle rack and close the Charlie Oven door.
3. Turn the steaks every 10 minutes, brushing both sides lightly with the gooseberry glaze each time.
4. Continue smoking until the centre of the thickest part reaches 55°C (130°F). Insert the temperature probe from the side, avoiding the bone.
5. Remove the steaks and keep them somewhere warm while you prepare the Charlie Oven for searing.

Sear the steaks

1. Open the vents and bring the Charlie Oven to 250 to 300°C (480 to 570°F). Add more lumpwood charcoal if needed.
2. Move the cooking rack to the lowest shelf position, directly above the charcoal, and allow it to become very hot.
3. Return the steaks to the rack and sear them on both sides until deeply caramelised. Turn them regularly, as the gooseberry glaze will colour quickly.
4. Check the temperature in the thickest part of the meat without touching the bone. For a fully cooked pork steak, it should reach 70°C (160°F) for two minutes.
5. Remove the steaks and give them a final light brush of gooseberry glaze.

Rest and serve

1. Rest the steaks somewhere warm for 5 to 10 minutes. This allows the meat to relax and the juices to settle.
2. Cut the pork away from the bone, then slice it across the grain. Spoon over the God Fyr garden sauce and serve the rest alongside.