Robert Castellani

Barbecued Free Range Pork Chop from the Western District with Italian Sausage

The unique taste of free-range pork combined with an open red-gum fired barbie. Choose large ribs with very large "eyes".
Score the rind so as to prevent it from curling up. Rub the rind well with sea-salt. Season the flesh with pepper.
Cook the pork chop over red gum and Mallee root coals for about 10 minutes. Ensure the crackling is crisp and well seared.
Rested for 5 minutes in a warm place.
At Donovans the pork is served with grilled Cotechino sausage. (Cotechino is a traditional style sausage made with pork rind, lean pork meat and back fat. The coarse mixture is seasoned with cloves and cinnamon and formed in a pig’s casing.). Donati’s Butchery in Lygon Street, Carlton makes the sausage used at the restaurant. You can see the sausages hanging in the front window when you walk past.
Poach the cotechino for 1 1/2 hours very slowly. When the sausage is cool enough, slice generously.
Serve the pork chop and sausage with some smashed fennel seed and parsley butter.

Donovan's is at 40 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda, Victoria, Phone 03 9534 8221, Mietta's Eating & Drinking in Australia 2001.