Recipe: Farmhouse Pork Rouelle on the Griddle

1- 2 hours before, massage your meat well with salt, ground pepper and thyme flowers, drizzle with a few drops of olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

2- In a small pot, pour a little olive oil then add your onions on low heat as they should not brown, salt and pepper with Espelette pepper and cover for 20 minutes then add your apricot dice, black olives and a good splash of Pineau, add the sliced Bayonne ham, adjust seasoning then let it simmer gently for another 20 minutes then cover and turn off the heat.

3- You are 1 hour away from sitting at the table, turn on the griddle to position 5 out of 6, then place your rouelle for 5 to 6 minutes on each side to give it a nice golden color then lower the temperature to 3 and let it cook thus 8 minutes on each side turning it from time to time.

4- Then spread your filling on the rouelle and leave it thus for 5 minutes then turn off the griddle when it is no longer too hot place a dish on top of your griddle, install your rouelle there cover it with aluminum foil and let your meat rest for 20 to 30 minutes.

5- Slice into approximately 2 cm thick slices and serve on hot plates with a little of the released juice.
As garnishes you could imagine small roasted Noirmoutier potatoes or small turned carrots from the marshes, good Soissons beans lightly tomatoed and spiced etc etc.
*The rouelle is a slice cut from the ham with the bone which gives it a very good flavor.