Sunday 19 July 2009

Pig Destroyer

This pork chop represents a defining moment in my life - I finally got the crackling right on a chop as opposed to a big roasting cut. From now on, this is how you will cook pork chops, or I will spitroast you.

Ingredients (to serve four):
  • 4 thick, well marbled, good quality pork chops from your butcher - no supermarket crap
  • 6 large garlic cloves
  • 600g new potatoes
  • 2tsps English mustard
  • 1 cabbage
  • 400ml vegetable stock (I guess)
  • Splash of Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsps plain flour
  • 2 tbsps runny honey
  • 4 tbsps cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsps brown sugar
  • 4 tbsps dried oregano
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 250ml good cider (again, guessing)
  • Drizzle of sunflower oil
Method:
  1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius.
  2. Scrape and wash the potatoes and put them in a saucepan with salted cold water.
  3. Core the cabbage and cut it into quarters, then shred it as finely as you like. Finely chop two of the garlic cloves and mix them with the cabbage in a baking tin along with the honey, sugar, cider vinegar, seasoning and Worcestershire sauce. Add enough vegetable stock to just cover the cabbage, then cover the tin with foil and put it in the oven.
  4. Meanwhile, prepare the pork chops. I'm assuming you've already got them out of the fridge at least 15 minutes in advance so that they can adjust to room temperature. Using a very sharp knife, cut through the layer of skin and fat on the outside (stopping just short of cutting into the flesh). Season each chop well on both sides with salt and pepper. Smash the remaining garlic cloves, discard the skin, and place one underneath each pork chop on a baking tray or roasting tin. Rub some oregano onto the top of the chops, pour a splash of Worcestershire sauce on each one and drizzle them with sunflower oil.
  5. When the cabbage has been cooking for about 10 minutes, put the pork chops into the oven and raise the temperature to 220 degrees. After 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 190 degrees and roast for a further 20 minutes.
  6. Get the potatoes boiling for about 10 minutes or until they slide off a sharp knife.
  7. When the chops are done, put them on a plate to one side and put the roasting tin on the hob; leave the cabbage in the oven for now. Turn the hob on high so that the juices start bubbling. Add the flour into the juices and then deglaze it with the cider. Once the cider has reduced by half, add the vegetable stock and reduce it by about half. Strain the grindcore gravy into a suitably br00tal jug and spoon any scum off the surface.
  8. To finish the potatoes, heat a little olive oil in a saucepan and add the cooked potatoes, along with a couple of teaspoons of mustard. Toss your spuds around until they're well covered.