Every time my dad goes home to Cordoba, he seeks out his favourite grill, near the Mezquita. There, he orders sliced, grilled pork loin served with two sauces: an oregano and raw garlic sauce, and a red sauce of piquillo peppers and chilli.
2 handfuls of oregano leaves
4 cloves garlic, chopped
A handful of parsley
220ml extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fennel seeds, toasted and ground
Juice of lemon
Salsa de piquillo
250g jar of piquillo peppers, drained
2 red bullet or other medium-hot
chillies, seeded
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp ground cumin
125ml ( cup) extra-virgin olive oil
3 pork loin fillets, about 350g each
Olive oil, for pan-frying (optional)
Fine sea salt
Put all the salsa verde ingredients in a food processor and blend for one to two minutes or until smooth.
Season to taste, pour into a serving bowl, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Put all the salsa de piquillo ingredients in a food processor and blend for one to two minutes or until smooth. Season, pour into a serving bowl, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
The pork loins can be chargrilled or pan-fried. To chargrill, heat some barbecue coals so you can only hold your hand
12 centimetres above them for no longer than three seconds. Season the fillets well and grill each of the four sides for three minutes each, then turn and cook each side again for one minute. Remove from the heat and allow to rest in a warm place for five minutes.
To pan-fry the pork loins, preheat the oven to 200C (400F/Gas 6).
Place 40ml olive oil in a large, heavy-based, ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the pork fillets and cook each of the four sides for one minute each, sprinkling each side with fine sea salt as you go.
Transfer the pan to the oven and cook the pork for five minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to rest in a warm place for five minutes.
To serve, cut the fillets into slices two centimetres ( inch) thick and enjoy with the two salsas.
Makes 6 entree-like portions
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