I never got my head round conventional marinating.
It always added a great flavour to the outside, but I wanted to get the flavour inside too.
The result was one of my ‘scientific moments’, when I injected the cacao marinade into the meat using a large syringe.
The combination of flavours works really well. I was inspired by the fact that the ginger grew in the shade of the cacao: they came together once again in the marinade.
500ml white wine
100ml balsamic vinegar
garlic cloves from half a bulb, peeled and roughly chopped
10cm chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 red chilli (with or without seeds, according to taste)
2 tbsp honey
25g 100% cacao, finely grated. Suggestion, Indonesian Black 100% Javan Dark Breaking Cacao
2 tbsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp sea salt
2.5kg boned and rolled pork shoulder, skin deeply scored
SIGNATURE TRUFFLES IN BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS GIFT SLEEVES