Packed full of delicious Spanish flavour this dish is a take on traditional pisto. I'm not sure how authentic this recipe is, but I can promise you that it's really tasty! It's similar to ratatouille, so it's a hearty and healthy accompaniment to the pork or tofu.
The pork / tofu is flavoured with garlic and smoked paprika, which is punchy but not overpowering and goes really well with the pisto. Since my last experiment with tofu I'm totally sold on baking it to create a lovely crispy texture. I could have marinated it for a little longer to create a better depth of flavour throughout, which I'll definitely be doing next time.
I cooked this dish twice this week and changed the cooking of the pork slightly the second time. J found that it wasn't packed with flavour the same way his beef steak usually is, so I added some butter halfway through cooking it the second time and it was a game changer! I shouldn't really be surprised, butter does make everything great.
J likes his meat well-done (and by well-done I mean cremated), so the charred edges on this image are probably not the way to go for most of you!
Ingredients
2 pork steaks or 1 block tofu
1 1/2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves, minced
For the pisto:
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 aubergine, chopped
1 courgette, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin butter beans
salt and pepper
Method
1. If using tofu, press for 20 minutes to remove the excess liquid.
2. To make the marinade for the pork / tofu mix together the oil, smoked paprika and garlic to create a paste. Coat the pork steaks / pressed tofu slices with the marinade and place in the fridge for a couple of hours.
3. If making tofu this can be baking while you make the pisto - bake at 190C for 30 minutes (40 minutes if you like it really crispy), turning halfway so it cooks evenly.
4. For the pisto, fry the onion until soft then add the garlic and fry for another minute. Add the aubergine, courgette and pepper and stir frequently for about 10 minutes until the veg is softening. Add the paprika, oregano and thyme and stir through before adding the chopped tomatoes. Season to taste. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the butter beans and simmer for a final 5 minutes before serving.
5. While the pisto is simmering, fry the pork steak in a pan - adjust the timing depending on how you like your meat cooked. Add a knob of butter halfway through and baste the steak while cooking.
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