Pork is married with apples and cider more often than not but I tried this dish after a stay in Bavaria many years ago and found it quite delicious. A dark, Bavarian beer is ideal, but not necessarily easy to come by so head for a good ale, but not Guinness or stout - it's a little too dark and bitter.

Ingredients - serves 4

4 generous pork spare rib steaks
olive oil
500ml Bavarian, or similar, beer
75g fresh rye breadcrumbs
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed & chopped
100g crimini mushrooms
4 carrots, peeled & cut into generous chunks
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
generous pinch of allspice
salt & pepper
chopped parsley to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C
First brown the pork steaks on both sides in olive oil over a medium to high heat - this will take a couple of minutes each side - then remove with a slotted spoon and sit them in a casserole dish - it needs to be oven proof and with a lid.

Return the pan to the heat, reduce it to low and add a touch more oil if necessary, and sauté the onion and garlic until softened but not coloured. Now add the mushrooms and carrot batons and cook for a further 5 minutes so that they are glazed then move them to the casserole with the pork.

Put the pan over the heat again and add the spices and bay and then the beer, heat to boiling and scrape into the sauce any residue from the pork and vegetables, lower the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs and some seasoning then pour into the casserole. Cover and transfer to the oven for an hour or until the meat is tender - check towards the end of cooking time and if the sauce is too thin then leave the lid off for the final 15-20 minutes of cooking.

Sprinkle with parsley before serving with boiled potatoes or creamy mash.