There’s a quiet confidence that comes with cooking for a crowd. It’s less about spectacle, and more about the generosity of flavour and spirit that good food brings to the table. Pork rises to the occasion with ease—and few in Western Australia treat it with more care and integrity than Linley Valley Pork.

For over 30 years, Linley Valley Pork has worked with a network of farms across Western Australia, from the northern outskirts of Perth to the southern reaches near Albany. These farmers are deeply committed to animal welfare and environmental stewardship, raising pigs in clean environments with careful attention. This dedication to ethical farming and local sourcing results in pork of exceptional flavour and texture, embodying the integrity and provenance that discerning cooks and diners value.

To showcase the versatility of Linley Valley Pork, we’ve enlisted Drew Dawson—2025 WAGFG Breakthrough Talent and the chef behind pop up kitchen Off License—to share three recipes for some of his favourite crowd-pleasing pork dishes. Drawing on his formative years in Italy, Dawson reimagines classic recipes to highlight different cuts of Linley Valley Pork: a slow-roasted country-style porchetta, a rich and comforting white ragu, and a golden, breaded pork cotoletta, each showcasing the exceptional flavour and texture of this local produce.

Country Style Porchetta  

This is a recipe for the kind of porchetta I love eating at my local markets in Italy in-between some crusty bread so it soaks up the juices. Best eaten same day because I love the crispy skin but also not bad eaten cold the next day with some antipasti. Perfect to make for a Sunday with friends and family.

Ingredients

  • 2.5–3kg Linley Valley Pork Belly, boneless and rind on 
  • 10 garlic cloves, minced 
  • 1 red chilli, minced
  • 1 tbsp fennel Seeds
  • 3 splashes Colatura Di Alici (Italian fish sauce, you can chop some anchovies as an alternative)
  • 60g breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 bunch parsley
  • 3 sprigs rosemary
  • 5 sprigs wild fennel (you can find this all over Perth; alternatively, use fennel tops)

Method

  1. First, prepare the filling so all the flavours are introduced to each other. Mince your garlic, chilli, fennel seeds along with all the herbs and mix in a bowl with the colatura (if using) and the breadcrumbs, bring this together with a little bit of olive oil. It should be a nice vibrant green and not too wet.
  2. Now for the pork. At this point, I’d suggest using a very sharp knife to score the skin side of the pork in a crisscross pattern. Flip the pork and make some diagonal cuts on the opposite side with your knife. Don’t cut too deep, just enough so that the filling has some gaps to get into.
  3. Now rub your filling into the inside of your pork belly so that the whole inside is covered.
  4. Roll the pork belly into a tight roll and tie at equal intervals. I usually start with one knot at each end and the middle and then fill in the gaps all the way down the belly, until you have a nice long rolled porchetta.
  5. Cover with flaked salt and rub into the skin. It’s important now to leave this in the fridge overnight so the skin has enough time to dry out and get you that nice crispy crackling.
  6. The next day, preheat the oven to 150°C and take your porchetta out to temper for at least 30 mins before cooking.
  7. Cook on a rack in a roasting tray for around 2.5 hours or until the inside reads around 65°C on a thermometer
  8. Crank the oven to around 250°C or as high as your oven goes and finish the porchetta for around 30 mins or until the skin puffs up and turns crispy
  9. Rest for one hour and carve

Pork Cotoletta with Garlic & Caper Butter

This recipe takes some inspiration from my favourite institution in Fremantle, Capri. I usually get mine with a salad and side of bolognese, but I’m serving it here with a punchy garlic and caper sauce. Slice and plate up nicely on a large plate for a great centrepiece. Goes very well roast potatoes and salad.

Ingredients 

  • 6-8 Linley Valley Pork cutlets
  • 250g breadcrumbs (or 50/50 breadcrumbs and panko crumbs)
  • 1 tsp each dried parsley, basil and oregano
  • 50g grated parmesan
  • 4 eggs
  • 200g flour
  • 250g butter
  • 2tbsp capers
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
  • 3 splashes Colatura Di Alici (Italian fish sauce, you can chop some anchovies as an alternative)

Method

  1. Start by cutting two equal pieces of parchment paper and putting the cutlet in between.
  2. Use a small pan or heavy object to bash out the cutlets until thin and even all round. Feel free to take your stress out on the cutlets, but don’t go too thin or they’ll cook too quickly.
  3. Set up 3 separate bowls/containers, one with flour, crack your whisked eggs, and the final one with your breadcrumbs, grated parmesan and dry herb mix.
  4. One by one, coat the cutlets with the flour, then put into the egg mix and finally into the breadcrumb mix, stack them up with parchment in between. For this process, keep one hand for the wet ingredients and the other for the dry—this will stop your hand from getting crumbed.
  5. Heat some neutral oil (canola or sunflower) in a pan. You want enough oil in the pan so that your cutlet will be covered when it’s cooking. You can check if your oil is ready by dropping a bit of breadcrumb in the oil; if it bubbles, you’re good to go.
  6. Fry each cutlet individually until golden brown, rest on a chopping board, season and carve before serving.
  7. For the sauce, gently warm the butter to a low simmer, add your minced garlic and anchovy sauce, and continue cooking until fragrant. Drop in the capers and your chopped parsley, cover the cutlets in the sauce and serve.

White Pork Ragu with Tagliatelle

This has been a firm favourite at my summer residency at Beaconsfield Wine Bar, delicious and perfect for serving a few guests. Get it on early in the day and make sure you leave enough time for it to rest and the flavours to settle. If you’re handy with a pasta machine, make your own tagliatelle, but if you’re cooking for a crowd, I’d advise picking pasta from Sals Pasta or find other good quality shop-bought pasta.

Ingredients 

  • 1.5kg Linley Valley Pork Shoulder, cut into chunks  
  • 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 sprigs rosemary
  • 500ml white wine 
  • 1L chicken stock
  • 3 bay leaves 
  • 250ml cream 
  • 500-700g Tagliatelle (8-10 people)

Method

  1. Start by browning your chopped pork shoulder in a pan with some oil, then add the celery, carrot, shallot, and onion in the same pan and sweat in the pork fat. When the vegetables are transparent, add your garlic and bay leaf, and cook until fragrant.
  2. Next, increase the heat on the pan, deglaze with the wine and reduce by half, top up with the chicken stock and simmer.
  3. Simmer until the pork pulls apart, around 2 hours. At this point, take out the pork and shred with two forks in a bowl, then return to the pot.
  4. Add your cream and continue to simmer, it’s very important to check the seasoning throughout. You don’t want to add too much salt too early, or it will be overseasoned when it reduces. One of my very good head chefs once told me seasoning is like crafting a good painting—bit by bit, layer by layer.
  5. Your ragu is ready when it is rich and flavourful and is the right thickness—thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  6. Cook your pasta in boiling salted water until nearly cooked, finish the pasta in the same pan as the ragu and cook until creamy and glossy. I like to let the pasta sit for a minute or two to let the flavours sit together. Serve with lots of good quality grated Parmesan.

To find your nearest stockist and explore Linley Valley Pork’s full range, including their time-saving ready-to-cook & ready-to-heat range, visit their website here. Or follow them on Instagram & Facebook for inspiration.

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