Roast Pork and Apple Gravy

Took a lot of preparing. The cutting off of the rind was easier than I thought it would be. The pork itself came pre-wrapped in kitchen string, which I made the mistake of cutting through on each spiral. I needed this string for later, so halfway through I had to dart to the local newsagent to buy some more.

The Hairy Dieters cookbook crucially misses out a section on each recipe for the equipment we will need, as opposed to ingredients. I also found, for instance, that I need to buy a cornflour shaker to make gravy with. The gravy came out lumpy because of this. Although, having said that, maybe I should actually read the instructions thoroughly before starting...

I've found that the book doesn't always present instructions to create a full meal. The pork was just that- the meat, and the gravy. No carbs. No veg. They suggest “throwing out” the drained-off fat. I happen to already know not to pour fat down the sink, but what's the alternative? I had to phone the endless well of knowledge that is my mum. Her advice: Pour it into a mug. Let it set. Cut it out with a knife and throw the gelatinous lump into the bin.

Cooking time: 90 mins. I got a gym session in whilst it was in the oven.

The pork itself was delicious, a testament to how far I'd come from a complete inability to cook a couple of years ago. I think now it might be time to start trusting my intuition and not rely on the recipe word-for-word.