Remember the days when you could afford to invite a couple of friends around for a braai and then pop down to the supermarket and stock up on a mountain of chops, chicken sosaties, metres of boeries and perhaps even a chunk or two of steak?

Well I'm afraid the high price of meat has killed all that fun for many people living on the edge of their budgets.

But if you box clever you can still entertain with meat without sacrificing on quality and taste, or melting the credit card — and one of the best ways of doing that is to opt for pork.

Modern lean cut pork is healthy, tasty and probably one of the cheapest meats around — and it's easy to work with.

Best cut?

One of my favourite cuts of pork is a lovely chunk of belly pork, slow roasted in the oven or done to golden brown perfection, over a bed of coals.

And equally delicious and even easier to prepare are good old strips, or rashers, of pork. Treat them well and they will come out with the meat melt-in-the-mouth tender and the crackling all crispy and delicious.

The beauty of working with pork rashers is that you don't even have to make a fancy marinade, all it needs is a little brush of olive oil, a sprinkling of coarse salt and black pepper and you have a meal fit for a king.

To serve four portions you need:

Instructions:

Use a sharp knife and cut incisions into the fat, but don't cut into the meat.

Use one of the Rosemary sprigs to dip into the olive oil and to paint the rashers lightly with the oil.

If you are grilling them in the oven put the pork on a rack above a tray and drop the Rosemary sprigs into the tray so that the flavour permeates the meat. (If you are doing the rashers on the braai drop the Rosemary sprigs on to the coals halfway through the cooking process). If you are putting them in an oven, pre-heat it to 200°C.

Use tongs to turn the meat not a fork (that is to prevent the meat being pierced and cooking dry).

Many chefs and home experts say one should not salt and pepper meat before you cook it, but I don't always agree. A sprinkling of coarse salt and pepper just before you put the meat in the oven actually helps to colour the meat and crisp the fat.

Rashers go well with potatoes of any kind, as well as with most salads and green vegetables, a saucy touch of something spicy (like a sweet chilli sauce or mustard) and something sweet (honey and cinnamon sweet potato, a compote of stewed dried fruit), the choice is yours.

Wine recommendation:

Mike of Wine Concepts suggests the Hermit on the Hill Pinot Noir 2007 — Stellenbosch to go with this dish. Expect to pay R59.

It's a delightful Pinot Noir which has good balance with fragrant truffle aromas and an elegant spicy finish.

To order this, contact Wine Concepts.