Salt pork with lentils (Petit salé aux lentilles)

1. Cut the pork shoulder into large pieces (if salted, soak it the night before to draw out the excess salt).

2. In a large pot bring the meat to the boil in cold water, skim off the foam, then drain and return it with fresh water.

3. Add the onion studded with cloves, the sliced carrot, the crushed garlic, bay leaf and thyme, and pour in the meat stock.

4. Cover and simmer gently for about 45 minutes until the meat begins to soften.

5. Pour in the picked-over, rinsed green lentils and cook together for a further 25-30 minutes until everything is tender.

6. Season with pepper (salt only at the end, carefully) and serve the sliced meat over the lentils, piping hot.

Tip: A hearty classic of the Auvergne kitchen. If you use salted meat, be sure to soak it in advance. Do not salt the lentils at the start of cooking, or they toughen. A little Dijon mustard makes it complete.