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This is a complete meal and the flavour balance between the various components is truly marvellous - sweet tender pork wrapped in smoky bacon contrasted with sweet/sour red cabbage, zingy mustard mashed potato all dribbled with smooth velvety gravy.
For the Pork
Preheat your oven to 230°C (446°F). Trim any excess fat off the pork. Lay the strips of bacon side by side on a sheet of aluminium foil. Place the pork in the centre of the bacon and lift the bacon rashers up and over the pork loin. Wrap tightly in the foil and place in the oven for 20 minutes. At the end of that time, reduce the temperature to 180°C (356°F) and roast for a further 30 minutes.
Finally, unwrap the meat and roast for another 10 minutes to brown the bacon. Remove it from the oven and test the internal temperature - it should be around 75°C (167°F). Loosely tent with foil while you finish off the other items.
Braised Red Cabbage
Once you've got the meat in the oven, you can start on the cabbage. Cut it into thin strips, and peel and finely chop the onion. Heat some oil in a frying pan and sauté the cabbage and onion until soft but not browned - 5-10 minutes. Add the vinegar and sugar, stir well and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and let the cabbage gently until everything else is ready.
Gravy
This gravy, actually a sauce velouté, benefits from quite a long simmer, so start it now. Melt the butter on low heat in a saucepan, then sift in the flour and stir until well combined. Add the stock and mix well. Cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Mustard Mashed Potatoes
Peel the potatoes and chop into small, evenly-sized chunks. Put into a pan of boiling salted water and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and return to the pan. Add butter, milk, mustard and salt and mash until smooth.
To Serve
Slice the pork to any thickness you like. Arrange everything artisitically on a plate and pour some gravy over it.
THE MEAT 500 grams pork loin 4-5 rashers smoked streaky bacon BRAISED RED CABBAGE 400 grams red cabbage 1 medium onion 2 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 tbsp sugar MUSTARD MASH 1 large potato 1 tsp mustard 1 tsp butter a splash of milk a pinch of salt GRAVY 300 ml chicken stock 50 grams unsalted butter 50 grams plain white flour