Today’s special: Pork chop with lemon salsa

Make an elevated midweek meal for two with this zesty pork recipe from Barnaby’s in Padstow

Recipe RICK TOOGOOD and FREDDIE CUDMORE

20 MINUTES + RESTING | SERVES 2 | EASY

This pork chop is always popular when it’s on the menu. Rick says: “It was inspired by my dad’s hunt for the best pork chops in Greece – lemon, garlic and oregano is the ultimate combo to cook them with. We serve our pork chops very slightly pink at the restaurant. This is fine if you’re buying quality meat from a butcher you trust and you know the meat has been carefully sourced.” Serve with roast potatoes and a tomato salad. barnabyspadstow.com

pork chop 1 thick-cut, bone-in (about 500g), room temperature

sea salt flakes for sprinkling

dried oregano 1 tsp

fresh oregano leaves chopped to make 2 tsp

preserved lemon ½ finely sliced, plus 1 tbsp of the liquor

garlic 1 large clove, finely chopped

extra-virgin olive oil 3 tbsp

1 Heat the oven to 240C/fan 220C/gas 9. Score the pork skin all over at 2cm intervals and season with the sea salt. Combine the dried and fresh oregano with the preserved lemon and its liquor, the garlic and 2 tbsp of olive oil. Set aside.

2 Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat. Hold the pork chop vertically in the pan with tongs so the fat is rendered down and the skin becomes crisp. Lay the pork chop in the pan and sear on both sides for 1 minute 30 seconds-2 minutes 30 seconds on each side until golden.

3 Transfer the pan to the oven and cook the chop for 3 minutes on each side, or 5 minutes on each side if you prefer it well done. Spoon over a little of the dressing and leave to rest for 10 minutes. If you’ve bought a bone-in chop, cut this off, then thinly slice the pork into 2cm pieces – the meat should be glistening pink. Roll the sliced pork in the resting juices, check for seasoning, then arrange on a serving plate with extra dressing and more of the resting juices.

Tagged pkar