2 delicious recipes for rolled beef and roast pork

Rolled beef and roasted pork are two surefire ways to impress the meat-lover in your life. Check out these delicious recipes -- just in time for you next dinner party!

Pine nuts, also called pinon seeds, come from the genus Pinus in the family Pinaceae. It is a tree that grows in the American Southwest.As an alternative you may prefer to substitute either almonds or walnuts for the pine nuts. Start the dish on top of the stove and finish it in the oven.

Ingredients:

• 750 g (1 1/2 lbs) rump or topside beef steak
• Small bunch basil
• 125 ml (1/2c) pine nuts
• 2 cloves garlic
• Olive oil
• Freshly ground black or green pepper
• 100 ml (1/2 c) cream
• 100 ml (1/2 c) red wine, port, or brandy

1. Trim the fat from the steak and flatten it out to about a one centimetre (half inch) thickness.
2. Finely chop or process the basil, nuts, garlic and a little oil until a rough paste is formed. Spread this over the beef and roll it up, securing the end with a skewer, then sprinkle the roll with pepper.
3. Place a little oil in a heavy pan and fry the steak over a high heat until brown. Transfer the meat to a moderate oven (with pan juices) and roast for 10 to 15 minutes; it should be pink in the middle when sliced.
4. Deglaze the pan juices with cream and wine and pour over the sliced rosettes of meat. Serve with scalloped potatoes accompanied by carrots and spinach steamed in orange juice.

Pork is a dish that needs to be well cooked but kept moist.

Ingredients:

• 2 kg (4.4 lbs) leg of pork (with skin scored — the butcher will do this for you)
• Ground sea salt
• Olive oil

1. Rub a little salt and oil into the pork skin. Place it on the top rack of a hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes to produce a crisp crackling, then move it down a level and lower the heat.
2. Roast the meat for 1 1/2 to2hours until the juices will run clear when a skewer is inserted. Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
3. Make a gravy and serve with dry-baked potatoes, and carrots and fresh beans steamed in orange juice.

Now you know two simple recipes for making an amazing roast pork or rolled beef. It's time to get cooking!