Brazilian pork with polenta, salsa and green herb sauce

The fresh flavours in the green herb sauce and salsa that accompany these delicious pork fillets will bring the taste of Brazil to your dinner table.

Match with a Höpt soda to complement the meal and really impress your friends and family!

INGREDIENTS:
For the pork:
– 4 pork fillet steaks (around 120g each)
– 2 tbsp olive oil
– Salt and pepper to season

For the polenta:
– 1 box instant polenta

For the green herb sauce:
– 1 cup of basil, coriander, mint, parsley leaves – all roughly chopped
– 3 cloves of garlic – peeled and crushed
– 3 spring onions – chopped and including the green half
– Juice of 1 lemon
– ¼ cup olive oil
– 2 tbsp of red wine vinegar
– Salt and pepper to taste

For the salsa:
– 6-8 medium tomatoes (in a variety of colours) – diced
– 2 tbsp of basil leaves
– ½ cup cucumber (skin on) – chopped
– ½ red onion – peeled and diced
– ½ red pepper – finely diced
– ½ green pepper – finely diced
– ½ red chilli – finely chopped with the seeds left in
– ¼ cup oil
– Salt and pepper

Drink match:
Höpt Soda Pear and Basil

METHOD:
For the pork
Set a large heavy based frying pan on to the stove and put on a high heat. Add 2 tbsp of oil. Add the pork fillet and sear. Cook 8 minutes. Turn and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the pan to rest and keep warm.

For the polenta
Cook instant polenta following the instructions on the packet. Keep covered to keep warm and set aside.

For the green herb sauce
Blitz ingredients together for five minutes in a food processor. Scrape down, blitz again until very smooth. Set aside.

For the salsa
Mix ingredients together and set aside.

TO SERVE:

Make a bed of soft polenta on 4 warm serving plates. Place pork fillet on top of the polenta. Dress with a good dollop of salsa and green herb sauce. Serve the remaining salsa and green herb sauce on the table for guests to add themselves. Open a bottle of chilled Höpt Soda Pear and Basil and serve alongside.

Hint: The green herb sauce can be made ahead.

Recipe supplied by Höpt; a delicious range of sodas – each a unique fusion of hop extracts with natural flavours and less sugar. Flavours include Salted Lychee, Pear and Basil, Watermelon and Mint, and Elderberry and Herb.