Neil Perry's barbecued pork chops with apple and potato salad
When cooking, try to leave your pork just a little pink so it's juicy; well-done, it will be horribly dry. If you can, grill it over charcoal or a wood fire; this is real barbecuing and you'll get a totally different (and much tastier) end product. Another nice way to cook this is as a whole pork rack, skin on, on a wire rack over a baking dish, so you get awesome crackling. Apples and potatoes are perfect companions.
Ingredients
4 free-range pork chops, about 250-300g each
sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
2 lemons
80g unsalted butter
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8 pieces
2 large kipfler potatoes, each peeled and cut into 8 pieces
1 handful flat-leaf parsley leaves
60ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for cooking
Method
1. Remove the chops from the refrigerator 2 hours before cooking and season liberally with sea salt.
2. Using a Microplane, grate the zest of half of 1 lemon into a bowl. Cut the top and bottom off the lemon and, with a paring knife, remove the remaining skin and pith and discard. Segment the lemon and add the segments to the bowl with the zest. Squeeze the juice from the second lemon into the bowl.
3. Melt the butter in a small non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the apple pieces and cook for about 5 minutes or until soft. Remove from the heat and when cool, place in the bowl with the lemon.
4. Meanwhile, place the potato in a saucepan and cover with cold, well-salted water. Bring to the boil and cook for about 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and, when cool, add to the lemon and apple mixture. Add the parsley and oil, season to taste and toss gently.
5. Preheat the barbecue to hot. Splash the chops with a little olive oil and shake off any excess. For nice criss-cross grill marks, place the chops on the grill bars and cook for 2-3 minutes. Rotate the chops 90 degrees and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Turn them over and cook for 5 minutes or until done to your liking. Place the chops onto a plate, cover with foil to keep warm and allow them to rest for 10 minutes.
6. Place a chop on each plate, drizzle with any resting juices, sprinkle with sea salt and white pepper and serve with the salad.
Find more of Neil Perry's recipes in the Good Food New Classics cookbook.
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Neil Perry is a restaurateur, chef and former Good Weekend columnist.
