Glossary

 Dutch-processed or Alkalised Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Colour reddish-brown and mild flavour. The beans are treated with an alkaline solution during the roasting process which neutralise the acids. Due to it’s neutrality this type of cocoa has to be used with baking powder (not bicarbonate/baking soda). Recommended for European cakes.

Brands: Cadbury’s

Natural or American-Style Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Colour rich brown and bitter flavour. Natural cocoa (an acid) has to be used with bicarbonate/baking soda (an alkali) to achieve the batter to rise in the oven.

Recommended for brownies, cookies

Brands: Hershey’s

Gel versus Liquid versus Paste versus Powder food colouring: Tip: use a cocktail stick to gradually add colour to your mix

Liquid: mixes well with liquids, great for adding to cooking water for dying Easter eggs

Gel: produces rich, vibrant colour, does not alter the consistency of the batter or dough

Paste: very concentrated, produces deep and vivid colour

Powder: super concentrated best used for painting or mixing with sugar

Brands: Dr Oetker

Pork cuts

Hocks

Slow-cooked pork hocks are sweet and tender. The meat is excellent in pea and ham soup, roasted or braised until the meat is falling off the bone.

Shoulder

With a slightly higher fat level, shoulder joints are great for roasting and braising. Diced shoulder is superb stir-fried, slow-cooked or stewed. Pork shoulder steaks are delicious simply grilled – and are perfect for the barbecue as a steak or as kebabs.

Loin

The loin is often cured to make back bacon. It’s also made into pork roasting joints, steaks, chops, cutlets and spare ribs. The tenderloin, or fillet, sits behind the loin towards the back; it’s beautifully tender and lean.

Ribs

Ribs are fantastic roasted, grilled or marinated and cooked on the barbecue. Loin ribs or spare ribs, come from the front of the rib cage and are long. Belly ribs are shorter and come from further towards the leg.

Leg

These are usually cured and then cooked to make ham, but can also be cut into pork roasting joints or leg steaks. Ham, gammon joints and steaks are only ever made from the leg. Ham is cured and cooked, usually served cold, gammon is sold cured but uncooked and usually served hot. The leg is much leaner than the belly and shoulder. Cheaper gammon joints are often formed from different cuts.

Belly

As it’s highly marbled with fat, pork belly is perfect for slow-roasting. The fat keeps the joint moist and succulent whilst cooking and delivers lots of flavour. Slow-cooking a belly joint with the rind on will deliver the best crackling too. Streaky bacon is also made from the belly.

Fillet

The tenderloin, or fillet, sits behind the loin towards the back; it's beautifully tender and lean.