Sage and Mustard Pork Steak with Apple, Black Pudding and Champ

Sometimes on a Sunday I just can't be bothered. It'll get to 5pm and the usual mouthwatering aromas of roast dinner wafting from the kitchen are conspicuous by their absence. I just don't know where the day has gone and now the kids are getting hungry. It's time to raid the fridge and see what (not literally) leaps out at me... or completely write off the day and order a takeaway. (By the way, is it just me that thinks ordering a takeaway on a Sunday to be slightly sleazy? And I don't mean a hangover-busting breakfast pizza, we've all been there. It's kind of like having a beer while showering. It's a brilliant idea (no, really), but you just know your mum won't approve). Anyway, back to raiding the fridge. Hmm, pork steaks. A bit of leftover black pudding. Some potatoes and watercress. A fuckload of apples from our neighbour Colin (not to be confused with the fuckload of quince from our neighbour Jack). The mind races, the Indian menu is thrown back in that drawer with the matches, loose toothpicks, used batteries and tatty tea-towels. No more than 30 minutes later and dinner is served, and my goodness it's the right decision (mum would approve). Meaty, hearty and ridiculously comforting (the dinner, not my mum). Maybe I'll not be bothered next Sunday as well.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
Four pork steaks
1tbsp oil
100g black pudding, cubed
2 apples, cored and cut into eight
1 onion, halved and sliced
small handful sage leaves, torn (or 2tsp dried)
100ml chicken stock
2tsp wholegrain mustard

For the champ:
1kg potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 large bunch watercress
300ml milk
2 bay leaves
1 sprig parsley, chopped
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
50g butter, softened

Method:
1. Rub the pork steaks with a little oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large frying pan and fry the steaks for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden. Transfer to a plate. Add a little more oil to the pan and fry the onions, apple, black pudding and sage for 5 minutes.
2. Add the stock and mustard, then return the steaks and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce has reduced by about a third.
3. To make the champ, heat the milk and bay leaves in a pan until boiling then take off the heat and leave to infuse for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and add the chopped watercress and parsely.
4. Boil the pototoes in salted water until soft, then drain and mash. Add the milk, softened butter and spring onions, and mix.