Day 23: Pork Chop, Broccoli & Chimichurri

inspired by The Pig & Butcher

I thought I would carry on using gastropubs as inspiration, after the success of the scotch eggs yesterday! And a pub that does a very good scotch egg is The Pig & Butcher in Islington.

Sure this is another example of a place that’s more a restaurant than pub. In fact their website describes how they “occupy a handsome pub” which I think is a rather good way of describing it. They do all their own butchery on site and their menu changes daily. Which means I have no point of reference for what I ate there….

But I do remember having a pork chop. A pretty spectacular one at that!

A lot of the recipes I try on this blog are thought out in advance. What’s for dinner? I can tell you the next five dinners if you like? Want to mix it up a bit? OK we can have Thursdays dinner on Friday.

Living life on the edge.

But that doesn’t mean when I’m in the supermarket I’m not allowed to let the odd thing slip spontaneously into the basket. Something (whispering quietly) not on the list.

Especially now Aidan and I shop separately (one adult at a time) so there is no one there to keep me in check.

I’m always a bit disappointed with the meat selection in a supermarket. I don’t eat a lot of meat (except in the current circumstances where I’m eating most of my meals with my carnivore husband). But the meat I do eat I like to be good quality. And I like to have variety. Supermarkets are fine for basics – sausages, mince, bacon, a whole chicken. But after that is where I start to despair.

I don’t know how many times I’ve spent the morning flicking through cook books, only to then go to the supermarket and find they don’t have the meat I need. Or more accurately the meat how I need it. Beef shin? Sure they have it. But it’s already diced. So you can say goodbye to that recipe. Chicken legs? If your lucky – sure you can buy hundreds of the thighs and drumsticks. But buying the two still attached? Not always possible.

This is what frustrates me about supermarket meat. They seem to want to pre portion, dice up and remove as many bones as possible from the meat we buy. Especially if you’re only buying smaller portions like we are.

So when I was in the meat aisle the other day and I saw these pork chops – with the bone in – in fact they called them pork cutlets – they just had to go in the basket. Rude not to.

Outdoor bred, Hampshire pork cutlets is now on the menu.

But what to serve them with? I remember having an amazing pork chop at The Pig and Butcher so I have a look. Their last menu is still online but that is served with turnip tops.

No hope of those in a supermarket.

Back to Instagram I go to play detective. I find a photo of a pork chop dish from 2015 (yes I was playing detective for a while) and I find this.

Hmm I wonder if this Tamworth pig was from Tamworth? Or can you get Tamworth pork from Hampshire I wonder?

Either way I’ve got a Hampshire chop and I’ll work with what I’ve got!

“Tamworth Pork Chop, Sprouting Broccoli & Chimichurri”

In the photo they serve it with mash (it looks like mash anyway) so that’s what I will do. I’ve got some spring onions that need using up so I’ll add them in. I love spring onions in mash potato!

Because these cutlets are thicker than a normal supermarket chop I start them in a pan and then pop them into the oven to finish cooking. I’m actually starting to feel a bit more confident with meat cookery! Who knows by Day 50 I might attempt a steak!

In the end I think this ends up as a pretty good dinner. A nice piece of meat (happy Aidan) and a large pile of greens (happy Libby). What more can you ask for?

Pork Chop, Spring Onion Mash, Broccoli & Chimichurri

Roasted pork cutlet servied with mash, greens and a spicy chimichurri sauce

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Course Main Course

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

  

• 2 pork cutlets
• 1 bunch tenderstem brocolli
• ½ lemon
• olive oil
• 1 sprig rosemary

Spring Onion Mash

• 6 large potatoes
• 1 bunch spring onions
• 25 g butter
• 50 ml whole milk

Chimichurri

• 1 small bunch parsley
• 1 small bunch coriander
• 1 green chili (seeds removed)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 shallot
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp white wine or cider vinegar

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 200°C
• Peel your potatoes and cut into chunks. Put into a saucepan of cold water with a large pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
• Make your chimichurri. Put all of the ingredients into a food processor and blitz. Season with salt and pepper. Add a little extra olive oil if needed to bring it all together. Put aside until ready to serve.
• Heat an ovenproof pan on a high heat with a splash of olive oil and a sprig of rosemary. Season the pork chops and score into the fat along the side. Add them fat side down to a pan (you might have to hold them with tongs) for a couple of minutes to let the fat render and the edge to become golden.
  
• Now cook the chops for two minutes on each side. I turn mine every minute.
• Next put the pan with the chops in the oven for 15 minutes.
• Melt a large knob of butter in a small frying pan on a medium heat. Add the spring onions and fry gently for a couple of minutes until soft.
• Once potatoes are cooked drain them and put them back in the pan. Let them dry slightly before mashing with the milk, a knob of butter, salt and pepper. Add the spring onions in their melted butter and stir. Keep warm until serving.
• Add the broccoli to salted boiling water for about 4 minutes. Drain and squeeze over the lemon.
• Once the chops are cooked take them from the oven and put them on a board to rest for a few minutes. Plate up the mash and brocolli. Add the chops on top and pour over and juices from the pan. Finally spoon the chimichurri on top. Dig in!
  

Notes

You might have leftover chimichurri which will keep in the fridge for a couple of days. Great with any grilled meat or fish! Or add it to finely chopped tomatoes to make a salsa. 

Keyword chimichurri, mash, pork, pork chop