Great to ‘meat’ you: chef James Martin cooks up a storm with pork at Taste of Grampian

When celebrity chef James Martin, of television’s Saturday Morning cookery show, was at Taste of Grampian last weekend, he cooked with Specially Selected Pork.

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Thousands of foodies turned out for the annual food and drink festival in Aberdeen on Saturday, and one of the highlights was James’ live cookery demonstrations.

The TV chef, who has been a household name for almost 20 years, prepared a pork dish using only the best ingredients.

The Taste of Grampian which took place at P&J Live was a huge success this year. QMS was one of the event’s key sponsors. So, naturally, QMS Specially Selected Pork was the dish of the day with celebrity chef James championing the product in his live cooking event.

James cooked up a tasty dish using pork as the Taste of Grampian crowd looked on and saw processes from start-to-finish. He then took time away from the kitchen to meet the attendees in person and posed for photos.

Those who were inspired picked up a Tasty Little Guide from QMS about the versatility of Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork.

Taste of Grampian sponsors: QMS

The role of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), which is part of the Scottish Government, is to ensure that all red meat produced in the country is checked and quality controlled to the highest standard. The organisation has been doing this since 1990 and has achieved so much during this time.

Lesley Cameron, marketing director at QMS said: “As event sponsors, QMS was delighted to hear about the success of this year’s Taste of Grampian event. Serving top quality local produce is vital to ensure our customers get a fantastic eating experience and Specially Selected Pork is a great example of a meat which is truly Scottish and a brand consumers can trust.”

Recipe from QMS

Following on from the great success of Taste of Grampian, QMS wants to share another one of their favourite recipes for:

Specially Selected Pork, Pineapple and Chilli Flatbreads with pineapple relish and purple slaw

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Burgers:

• 4 folded flatbreads
• 400g Specially Selected Pork mince
• 60g fresh or tinned pineapple, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, finely diced
• 20g fresh coriander, chopped
• 50g fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 egg yolk, beaten

Salsa and slaw:

• Salt and pepper, pinch
• 100g red cabbage, finely sliced
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 20ml lime juice
• 100g fresh or tinned pineapple, finely chopped
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1 red chilli, finely diced
• 20g fresh coriander, chopped
• 1tbsp rapeseed oil

METHOD

1. Mix the pork mince, pineapple, chilli, coriander and breadcrumbs in a bowl.
   Season then add the beaten egg yolk.
2. Shape into four patties.
3. To make the slaw, mix the red onion, red cabbage and lime juice. Season.
4. To make the salsa, mix the pineapple, chilli, coriander and shallot. Drizzle with oil and season.
5. Place each burger on a hot BBQ for 6-8 minutes, turning halfway.
6. Remove and cover with foil, allow to rest for 10 minutes.
7. Serve in toasted flatbreads topped with slaw and salsa.

(Kitchen method if needed)

1. Place each burger under a medium hot preheated grilled for 6-8 minutes, turning halfway.
2. Once fully cooked, cover with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

‘Scotch’ the difference: why we should make it Scotch

When shopping for meat – always make it Scotch, that is the message from QMS. What makes Scotch Beef PGI and Scotch Lamb PGI different is the unique relationship that livestock have with their environment, and the Scotch farmers’ total devotion to quality at every stage. It also guarantees:

• Respectfully reared: QMS’s animal welfare charter recognises the five freedoms of animal welfare, underpinned by independent checks on farms from the Scottish SPCA.
• The perfect landscape: Over 80% of Scottish land is grass or rough grazing – not suitable for crops but ideal for livestock.
• Part of a natural cycle: Grass grazed by livestock absorbs carbon from the atmosphere and captures it in the soil.
• The perfect climate: An abundant supply of rain in Scotland creates lush grasslands without the need for irrigation.
• Quality assured: Livestock must have spent their entire life on QMS assured holdings to hold its iconic logos.

For more information on Specially Selected Pork, Scotch Beef or Scotch Lamb, visit the QMS website.