“Before the advent of refrigeration, there was careful consideration of how to keep meat at its best for the longest time, so much so that our farming calendar dictated the best month in the year for a fat pig to be slaughtered. Traditionally, hogs were fattened over the spring and summer months and slaughtered in the autumn or winter. The pairing of pork and apple is entwined throughout history, as both were ready for curing or fermentation at the same time of year. They would have been consumed together for weeks to follow. As luck would have it, they are the most delicious bedfellows. The tartness of the apple has the ability to cut through rich pork fat and enhance the sweet flavour of the meat. Here I have celebrated these two wonderful components of autumn’s harvest, in time-honoured fashion.” Abby Allen, author of The Farm Kitchen
Serves 4
4 organic or free-range pork chops
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
A drizzle of organic rapeseed oil
A knob of grass-fed butter
3–4 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed
A few sprigs of rosemary
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the apple ketchup
5 large cooking apples
150ml (5fl oz) cider vinegar
2½ tablespoons honey
2–3 sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
Remove the pork chops from the fridge, pat dry with kitchen paper and season well with sea salt. Allow the chops to marinate in the salt and come to room temperature. If you can, do this an hour or two before you intend to cook them.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5.
For the apple ketchup, place 4 of the apples in a baking dish and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until soft and yielding. Set aside to cool.
In a small saucepan, combine the cider vinegar, honey and herbs and set over a medium–high heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced by two-thirds. Discard the herbs, then pour the liquid into a blender along with the baked apples and blitz to a purée. You could leave the purée like this; for a more refined ketchup, use the back of a wooden spoon to push the apples through a sieve to remove the tough skins and pips. Adjust the seasoning with a little salt and pepper and set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, combine both mustards with the fennel seeds and set aside.
Set a cast-iron frying pan over a medium–high heat, drizzle in the oil and add the chops. You may want to do this in batches to ensure you do not overcrowd the pan. Fry for 2–3 minutes, then use a pair of tongs to turn and fry the other side for a further 2 minutes. Using the tongs, pick the chops up and press the fat side into the pan, holding it there for a couple of minutes, or until the fat crisps and renders.
With all the chops now in the pan, take the mustard mixture and slather it over the chops, then add a generous knob of butter along with the garlic and rosemary. Baste the chops with the cooking liquor for a further 2–3 minutes.
Remove from the pan and leave the chops to rest for 5–6 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the remaining apple into 8 segments, then caramelize them in the pan until golden on all sides.
Plate each chop with a spoonful of the cooking liquor, a dollop of apple ketchup and some caramelized apple. I like to serve these with roasted or mashed potatoes and seasonal greens.