Summer is a time for sharing cherished moments with loved ones around the braai – a true South African tradition synonymous with Roodeberg.
This legendary wine has been bringing friends and families together for over seven decades with a lifetime of stories in every bottle. While Roodeberg has grown in stature with a collection of accomplished blends since its first release in 1949, the wine remains rooted in history and continues to conjure up treasured memories with its legacy of outstanding quality and consistent drinking pleasure.
Inspired by Roodeberg’s provenance and journey as an evolving contemporary wine, well-known food writer, Ilse van der Merwe, suggests a deliciously succulent, deboned pork neck for the festive summer table (RECIPE BELOW). While all Roodeberg’s red wines are tailor-made for rich and juicy meat off the coals, winemaker James Ochse loves the award-winning Reserve blend with this flavourful pork neck cooked slowly in a kettle braai. It is smoky, tender and simply delicious.
Suave and ultra-smooth, Roodeberg Reserve 2020 triumphed with a Double Gold medal at this year’s prestigious Veritas Awards. It is an intense, richly layered and superbly balanced blend of the finest barrels in the cellar. Led by Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz with Malbec, Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah in supporting roles, the wine is silky soft with beautifully integrated layers of redcurrants and dark berries. Pleasing smoky nuances of vanilla and sweet spice linger long after the last sip.
Roodeberg is the perfect wine to bring people together over the festive season. For more information and online purchases of Roodeberg’s consummate blends, visit www.roodeberg.com
Smoky Kettle-Braaied Whole Pork Neck with mustard sauce
Ingredients
- 1,5-2 kg deboned pork neck (tied with string if necessary)
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2-3 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
For the mustard sauce
- 3 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
Instructions
- Prepare your kettle braai for indirect heat using 50-60 briquettes - light them and wait 15 minutes until they are ashed over. In the meantime, prepare the meat for the fire.
- Place the pork on a clean board or platter, then season generously on all sides with salt, pepper and smoked paprika.
- Use a pastry brush to baste the surface all over with mustard, then sprinkle with the chopped rosemary.
- Place the pork directly over the hot coals for a quick grill on both sides (about 2 minutes a side), then transfer the pork to the indirect heat position and cover the kettle braai with a lid, vents open.
- Roast for 1 hour, then test the inner temperature with a thermometer - it is ready when it shows 75-80° C. Remove from the heat and let the meat rest, covered, for at least 10 minutes before carving.
- Serve with the mustard sauce on the side and your choice of salads.
- Prepare the sauce: Stir all of the ingredients for the sauce together and serve at room temperature.
P.S. Head on over to my Instagram page HERE to enter the giveaway to win a case of mixed Roodeberg wines!
