A couple of weeks ago we got burgled.
They only took valuables from one room as clearly had no time to have their way with our lovely flat, but nevertheless they came in.
No one was hurt and most things will be replaced with ease, but they came in.
Strangers. Uninvited. Looking to take away things we worked hard to be able to afford. Gifts from loved ones. In our home.
A home that we have worked hard at and tried to turn into a cosy and safe haven.
The place we know we can come back to for respite after a long day at work, an argument, a disappointing night out.
But since that night I have been scared of walking into my flat on my own or spending an evening in it alone.
I’ve also been scared of standing in the kitchen on my own past darkness, because that’s where I realised someone had been in the house and will I turn around to find someone is trying to come in again?
The feeling is harrowing. Especially when I love having a chance to enjoy the space and its warm glow on my own.
I know.
I know we’re not the first ones nor will be the last ones to have been burgled and that far worse things happen out there, but if you know me personally you know that past the smile and the chirpy attitude I am someone who is very anxious and things like this are not easy for me to digest regardless of their magnitude in the larger scheme of things.
And then yesterday a trusted electrician came over and fitted an alarm for us and all of a sudden I felt better.
It would be, of course, naïve of me to think that it will stop burglars from coming in altogether, but at least I feel we now have a better chance of being alerted of any funky business going on and I won’t wake up in cold sweats in the middle of the night wondering what “that noise” was.
It was such a nice feeling that I celebrated with a glass of wine when I heard the system locking down all the doors and windows and the main panel beeping away its effectiveness.
And then I sat cross-legged in my living room with a big plate of braised pig cheeks on rice and peas and watched a Will Smith movie on tv (you know the one where he teaches men how to get the women they want…) and I felt fine.
For the first time in 3 weeks I felt safe and cocooned again in my home and I marked the moment with a cosy and warming dish.
I mean, I had to take the day off work to be here whilst the electrician did his job so why not take advantage of all those hours and slow-cook some pig cheeks?
And I have ridiculous amounts of oranges from my Riverford box so why not take advantage of those too?
And let’s not talk about the endless tins of chipotles en adobo we have managed to hoard and should really be disposing of…
Same goes for my 4 jars of honey. All different types of course.
Pig Cheeks with orange and chipotles
Serves 1 (or 2 with small appetites)
400gr pig cheeks cut roughly into bite-size chunks
Juice and rind (grated) of 2 oranges
1 big chipotle en adobo finely chopped (see tips on where to get them here)
1 generous tbsp clear honey
1 bay leaf
2 crushed garlic cloves
Salt to taste
Fresh cilantro roughly chopped for finishing (optional)
Marinate the pig cheeks with the chipotle and orange juice for about 2 hours.
Put the meat (with the marinade) in either a croc pot or a pyrex dish or wherever it is that you are going to braise them in just as long as it has a lid or can be tightly covered in the oven.
Turn the oven on low (gas mark 3/120C).
Add all other ingredients (obviously not the cilantro!), give it a good old mix, cover and put into the oven.
Now the beauty of this dish is that it takes between 3 ½ to 4 hours to be ready and requires minimum interaction.
I checked every 45 minutes or so and gave it a stir to make sure all parts of the meat are covered properly in the caramelizing juices.
It will initially look like a lot of liquid, but in the end you will only be left with a trickle of concentrated gravy that will give the rice just the perfect moisture.
So look out for the juices reducing (if they go too quickly add a little extra orange juice diluted in a tbsp of water) and for meat so tender that you can pull apart with a wooden spoon.
Serve on steaming rice, top with the cilantro and enjoy the embrace of your home.
*insert content smile here*
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9 comments:
I totally understand.
My sister lives on her own and was burgled, they ransacked the place, they really took their time.
And when they stole things like laptops, they rooted around and found boxes, receipts etc. which made it even harder to claim on insurance (as they demanded the original receipts).
The feeling of violation was very strong and took time for it to go away.
And yes, having secuity boosted did help.
When I was 19 I woke up to a man in a balaclava in my bedroom, burgling us. He even took the phone out of my hand.
I moved out 3 weeks later. Glad you're feeling safe again. It looks like a delicious recipe.
@ Kavey - Why would they are for receipts? And do insurance companies really think people keep receipts for something they bought 4 years ago?
Ugh...
@ Lizzie - Ok, you win. That;s beyond freaky!
I refuse to move out of my pretty flat, though. I like it too much and won't let them skank-faces scare me away :)
Oh no hon, that's awful! I'm so sorry. Glad you're feeling a bit better x
:( Sorry about the burgling - that totally sucks.
But your pig cheeks! Mmmm.... love the addition of orange juice. Reminds me of carnitas!
Oh poor Carla.
I find pig's cheeks a bit like a big hug, so hopefully they helped x
I got burgled at uni. Found him in my room going through my vinyl. Also turned out he was a whole foot smaller than me so I introduced him to my friend PAIN.
Mmmm pig cheeks hope all is well
How horrible to be burgled. I once came back from a trip and found that they broke a panel in the door and squeezed in. Made a mess and took only small thing but I felt totally violated.
More comfort food...
It is awful to know strangers have been in your home. Same happened to me & then I got the alarm & soon enough you move on, promise:) Pigs cheeks....have never cooked with them before but I do love the chipotle.
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