Grilled Pork with Lemon and Thyme Barley

The barley is really the star with this dish. I've never tried pearl barley before but I am interested in trying lots of grains to add more fibre to my diet. One of my friends used to eat it a lot and said it was really good, so I thought I'd try it. This dish was delicious, I love lemon anyway so it's perfect for me. I added some old bay seasoning to the pork which complemented the barley amazingly.



Grilled Pork with Lemon and Thyme Barley (from Good Food Magazine March 2011)
(Serves 4)

4 pork medallions
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves , crushed
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 small onion , finely chopped
1 tsp coriander seeds
200g pearl barley
600ml hot chicken stock
4 lemon thyme sprigs, leaves only
100g bag baby spinach
juice and zest 1 lemon

Place the pork in a shallow dish and add the vinegar and garlic, turning to make sure they're evenly covered. Leave at room temperature for 10 mins. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion and coriander seeds for 3-4 mins until softened.

Add the barley and cook for 1 min in the oil, then add the stock and thyme. Bring to the boil, cover then simmer for 30-35 mins until the barley is tender and the liquid absorbed.

Transfer the pork to a grill pan and cook under a hot grill for 5 mins on each side until nicely browned and cooked through. Stir the spinach, zest and juice into the barley and spoon onto plates. Serve with the grilled pork.