Grilled Bacon Chops and Chips

Some evenings, I don't want to spend an hour in the kitchen. I may have had a busy day, or we may have gotten home later. On those days, I like to plan for a quick and simple meal I can pull together in under an hour, and ideally in less than 30 minutes.

Bacon chops

A bacon chop is simply a thick cut slice of British bacon bacon. It is cut from the shoulder end of the loin and leaves the pork belly attached. The chop is then cured like bacon, and can come either smoked or unsmoked.

My personal preference is for a dry cure, smoked bacon.

There are dozens of recipes for bacon chops as this humble cut has become more popular again in English kitchens, utilising all sorts of extra ingredients and condiments. Since I want a very quick and fuss-proof meal, I tend to skip all that.

Chops can be cooked in the same was as you would any other type of bacon. Grill it, fry it, or pop it in the oven. Since I am already heating the oven to cook chips I just pop the bacon chops in as well, making dinner even less of a fuss for me.

Preheat the oven to 200c/400f

Chips (thick cut fries) go on a baking tray. These come out of the freezer, and generally take about 25 minutes to cook.I

f you don't have any chips in the freezer, slice a few potatoes into 1/2 inch rings, drizzle over a bit of olive oil and a some salt and pepper and bake those in the oven about 30 minutes, turning half way through cooking.

Use a rack like this to drain fat away

Cooking the chops

Lay the bacon chops on a baking tray. I like to use a rack so that fats can drain away while cooking.

Cook in the oven about 25 minutes, turning them over halfway through cooking.

Once taken out of the oven, I will drain the fat into a bowl to be used for roasting potatoes in a future meal.


Just to round things out, I will sometimes add in some sauteed mushrooms or a fried egg. 


Once you have the chips and chops in the oven, all you'll need to do is pick out a vegetable to eat as a side dish. I usually grab peas.

Bacon chop with chips and peas, and a fried egg

Sausage, sage and onion stuffed pork chops

Earlier this week, I got a good deal at the butcher's counter. They had inch thick pork chops on display at a discounted price, cheaper than the packaged chops on the shelves that were half the size. I had the butcher pick me out 3 nice ones and tucked them into the freezer once I got home as I wasn't going to use them immediately.

Yesterday, I took the chops out of the freezer for tonight's dinner. I also had a pack of sausage meat, and wanted something I could cook up that would use both. I decided to do a stuffed chop.

Buy at Amazon

For my stuffing, I picked up a pack of sage and onion stuffing from the shop - one of the instant stuffings to save time, just add a cup of boiling water and let it sit for 10 minutes. To this I added 2/3 of the sausage meat and combined thoroughly.

The other 1/3 was used to stuff one of the chops without the stuffing mix. My older son has several food quirks related to his ASD and doesn't eat bread stuffings. He does however like plain sausage stuffing and it doesn't take any extra effort to make one this way for him. So that I could tell the difference between this and the other chops I stuck a couple cocktail sticks into it before breading.I made sure to remove these before serving!

On to stuffing the pork chops...

Pork chop pocket

I took each chop and using a very sharp small knife I cut a pocket into the meatiest part. I then opened this pocket up and filled it with a couple large spoonfuls of the stuffing mix. After stuffing I let them to rest while I prepped the bread crumb coating.

You'll need a couple eggs (1 egg isn't quite enough for 3 chops) and about 1 cup dried bread crumbs.


Whisk the 2 eggs briefly in a shallow dish. Add a pinch salt and pepper to season.

Dip each of the stuffed chops into the egg and then coat it with the breadcrumbs. I pour out half the bread crumbs onto a sheet of greaseproof paper (baking paper) and add more as needed. Coat both sides, then let the chops rest while heating about 1/2 inch depth of fat or oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet.

Make sure the skillet is on a medium-high heat.

Carefully place each chop into the hot fat and leave to cook for about 5 -7 minutes on one side, check to see

Pork chop

if it is browned enough then flip over and cook the other side another 5 minutes.  Test for doneness by either checking the firmness of the meat - at it's fleshiest part it should be as firm as the end of your nose. Or, cut a small slit in the top to check. With experience and practice, you will learn how to judge doneness by touch better.

I then transfered the chops to an oven dish lined with kitchen paper and put it in the bottom of the oven to keep warm. To keep the chops from going soggy in the oven, I prop them up on their side, bone side up. 

I made a milk gravy using the cooking fat to go over the top. But these would be equally good with freshly made apple sauce.

I did have some stuffing mix leftover. These I formed into 4 X 2-inch diameter balls and baked in the oven for about 45 minutes. Those'll get eaten as snacks tomorrow, or I will heat one up for my lunch.

Pork chop image credit: By Sir James (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Put a Little Spice Into Your Life

Chinese Five Spice, Pumpkin Spice, Mixed Spice, Curry Powders. They add variety and flavour to your food dishes, whatever the cuisine.

These assorted spice mixes can also be quite costly at the shop so the temptation to buy in bulk when they're on sale might be high.

Don't do it!

Long before you can use that jar up, the spice mixture will have gone stale and lost its flavour.

Instead, buy smaller amounts of the individual spices and make your own spice mixes at home. You'll save money, and benefit from the enhanced flavours.

My spice gear

Mortar and pestle with spice book

A good reference book, and an even better grinder are what I have to hand. A small coffee grinder works perfectly for grinding harder spices. I have a separate one for grinding coffee beans. 

When I want to do things by hand, I have good, heavy duty mortar and pestle. I use it for grinding small mixtures as I need them. Right now, it gets its most use when I am making a bolognese sauce as I use it to grind the fennel seeds and dried herbs.

Chinese Five-Spice Powder

Different recipes will have different spices in a 5-spice mix. This is the one I've found that I like best. 

• 3 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 6 star anise (or 2 teaspoons aniseed)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons whole Szechuan peppers, or whole black peppers
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves 

Place ingredients in a food processor or a coffee grinder. Cover and process to a fine powder.

Store it in a tightly covered container in a cool, dark place.

This makes 1/3 cup.

Recipe using five-spice powder

Several years back, I was eating lunch at a small pub in West Sussex. I had a duck in plum sauce that was absolutely delicious and on a whim I asked the landlady if the chef would be willing to give me the recipe for the plum sauce. He did, sending the recipe out on a small sticky note. I made it. The recipe filled one pint jar and lasted for several months in the fridge.

Plum sauce

Plum Sauce

• 1 kg plums
• 400 grams sugar
• 2 teaspoons Five-spice powder
• Small amount of water

Wash and quarter the plums, removing the stones. Combine with the other ingredients in a large saucepan. Simmer over a low heat until it starts to gel. Keep in a clean covered jar in the fridge.

This condiment goes very well served with duck, chicken, and pork. I like it served alongside cooked sausages as well.

Cajun Spice Mix

 I use this mix for making jambalaya, but have also found that it is good mixed with olive oil as a marinade for chicken.

• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoon barbecue seasoning powder 

Mix these ingredients together thoroughly. Store them in a tightly covered container in a cool, dark place.

Recipe using Cajun spice

Cajun Chicken Strips with swede chips

Swede (rutabaga) makes good chips

This is a quick, easy, and healthy meal.

Chicken strips

For 2 adults and 2 children, you'll need 3 large chicken fillets.

Cut the chicken fillets into strips, about 1/2 inch thick and 3 inches long.

Put those into a bowl with 1 - 2 heaped teaspoons of cajun spice mix plus about 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Mix it all around so the chicken is completely coated.

Let it sit for 10 - 20 minutes.

Heat a large skillet. Add half the chicken strips. Cook through. Remove from the pan and cook the remaining chicken. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Swede chips

The swede is also called a rutabaga.

Peel the swede and cut it into wedges, 1/2 inch wide by 1/4 inch thick by 2 inch long.

Put into a steamer, and steam for 10 minutes.

Remove from the steamer and dry thoroughly.

Heat 1/4 inch olive oil in a skillet.

Lay the swede in the skillet in a single layer. Cook until 1 side is lightly browned then turn over and cook the other side.

Remove from the skillet and place on kitchen paper to drain.

Keep warm until ready to serve.

For a dipping sauce, mix 2 tablespoons mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon tomato paste. Add a few dashes of tabasco sauce to taste. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Or, mix a teaspoon chipotle in adobo sauce with a cup of mayonnaise for a smoky, spicy flavour.

 

Curry Powder

Curry powder spices roasting

The word curry is a corruption of the Tamil word kahri. This word evolved over time to mean any Indian food that was cooked in a sauce. Merchants and soldiers who visited India were keen to introduce these flavours to their foods when they returned home and the demand for commercial curry powders developed.

Curry powder is a blend of different spices and will vary depending on the region it comes from. It is not a traditional, authentic ingredient in Indian cooking.

The basic recipe below can be adapted and adjusted to suit your personal taste and the main ingredients for any particular dish. It makes 16 tablespoons. Store any unused in a covered jar in a cool, dark place.

• 6 - 8 dried red chillies
• 8 Tablespoons coriander seeds
• 4 Tablespoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds
• 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 1 tabespoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger 

1. Remove the stalks and seeds from the chillies unless you like a fiery mixture, in which case leave a few seeds in the pods.

2. Roast or dry-fry the chillies, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, mustard seeds, and black peppercorns in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat until they give off a rich aroma. Shake the pan constantly so that the spices are evenly roasted and don't burn.

3. Grind the roasted spices to a powder in a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder, then stir in the ginger and turmeric.

Variations

Dry-fry 4 curry leaves and add them to the ground mixture; remove from the cooked dish before it is served as the curry leaves are not eaten.

For a milder result, halve the number of chillies, then add 1 cinnamon stick, 1 Tablespoon fennel seeds, and 6 whole cloves to the spice

Recipe using curry powder

Pork Curry

Pork curry

1 large onion, sliced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 pound cooked pork, cut into cubes
1 Tablespoon flour
1 - 2 heaped Tablespoons curry powder
1/2 pint chicken broth
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin diced pineapple, drained
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
cooked rice

Saute the onion in olive oil until softened. Add the cubed pork.

Add the flour and curry powder. Stir and cook for a couple minutes.

Add the chicken broth. The tin of tomatoes, tin of pineapple, and tomato paste.

Season to taste. Let cook at a low simmer for 15 - 20 minutes, until it's thickened.

Serve over rice.

Mixed Spice

Mixed spice

This is a typically British spice that can be bought ready ground. It can be used in a variety of cakes and puddings as well as in cooked breakfast porridge or muesli. The usual components are allspice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger but some cooks like to add some cardamon and coriander seeds as well.

This recipe makes 2 Tablespoons.

• 1 teaspoon allspice berries
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger 

 Grind the allspice, cinnamon and cloves to a fine powder and mix well with the nutmeg and ginger. Use at once or store in an airtight jar away from strong light.

Recipe using mixed spice

Porridge

Porridge

Mixed spice is best known for its use in puddings and cakes, but in our house it is most used when making that most basic of breakfast foods, porridge.

For one person:

Put in a small saucepan:

• 150 ml milk
• 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 very small handful sultanas
• 1/2 apple, diced

Heat in a small pan until near boiling.

Add

• 2 heaped tablespoons porridge oats

Stir until oats are fully cooked. 4 - 5 minutes.

If you like your porridge thicker as I do, just add a bit more oats.

Bangers, Mash, and Onion Gravy

Sausage and onion gravy (creative commons)

There is little that could be more British than a meal of Bangers and Mash.  These are good on their own, or with a chutney, but when it comes to accompaniments that make this dish even better, you just can't beat a ladle full of a caramelised onion gravy.




To make this gravy, you need to take a bit of time, at least an hour just to cook the onions down to a caramelised golden brown. Oh, you'll find recipes that claim you can make this gravy in less than 20 minutes. These are the same recipes that tell you to add a large spoonful of sugar to the onions. For absolute depth of flavour that brings out the natural colouring and sweetness of the onions, forget the sugar and spend that extra bit of time cooking.

Sausages are a British tradition

The Brits didn't invent the sausage, but I don't think you will find a nation who loves them more than the British do.

Some interesting Sausage Facts

• The Sumerians were making sausages 5,000 years ago


• In 320 A.D. the Catholic Church banned the eating of sausages due to their association with Pagan festivities


• Sausages were first divided into links in Britain during the reign of Charles I (1600-1649)


• 'Bangers' which is the British nickname for sausages, originated from the Second World War when the high water content made them tend to explode during cooking as the water turned to steam


• Sausage machines can fill sausages at a rate of 1 ½ miles an hour


• There are over 400 different varieties of sausages in the UK


• The most expensive sausage in the UK was made from fillet steak with Champagne and truffles and cost £20 each!

According to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Meat Services:

• 88% of British households have bought sausages


• 50% buy sausages at least every four weeks


• Every day, five million Britons will eat sausages


• 46% of the total amount of pork sausages consumed are eaten in the evening.

British sausages (creative common)

 

Caramelised Onion Gravy Recipe

You will need:

3 - 4 large onions; use 1 - 2 red or sweet onions. I like to use 2 Spanish onions and 2 red onions - thinly sliced in rings
75 gm butter
400ml chicken or beef stock
100ml red wine - you could use 100ml of ale/bitter or Madeira instead, or substitute another 100ml stock
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp French mustard - English mustard would be too hot
Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking method:

Melt the butter in a heavy pan
Cook the onions over a medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are soft. You aren't frying them here. You're softening them down.
Decrease the heat to low.
Leave the pan uncovered and cook the onions down slowly until they are browned. This will take at least 1 hour, possibly longer. There is no rush. The slower the onions cook, the more their natural sugars will be released providing the golden brown caramelized colouring and flavour you are looking for. Go back in the kitchen and give them a stir round occasionally, but otherwise just leave them alone to cook.
When the onions are nicely cooked, add in the remaining ingredients. Increase the heat and bring it up to a simmer. Check the seasoning, and serve over a plate of mashed potatoes with sausages.

Cooking sausages

Lincolnshire Sausages

Pick a good sausage for this meal. I'm not talking about breakfast sausage links here. I'm referring to any of the varieties of traditional British sausages. In our house, we like Lincolnshire sausages though just about any will be enjoyed.

These sausages can be fried in a pan, cooked under a grill, or cooked in a moderately-hot oven. My preferred method is to grill them.

I place the sausages in 2 rows on the grill pan and place it under a moderate heat. This allows the sausages to brown nicely on each side as they are turned, and cook inside. Cooking time about 20 minutes.


You can find Lincolnshire sausages in any grocery store and most butchers. For a good authentic Lincolnshire sausage, I recommend buying them directly from Mountain's Boston Sausage Company. I've bought sausages and other meat products from this family run company in Boston, Lincolnshire before and highly recommend them.

Not in the UK? Check with your local traditional butcher. They just might be able to help you. Or, you could try making your own sausages at home.

Once you've gor your bangers and your onion gravy, you just need to cook up a big pile of creamy mashed potatoes, and your meal is sorted.

Sunday Roast Pork

Now that Autumn is well and truly here, it's time to enjoy a bit of roast pork for Sunday dinner.

Let your senses take you away for a moment. It's a November afternoon, there's a crisp chill in the air.

The smell of roasted pork meets you first. Next, your eyes spy a succulent rolled shoulder of pork, perfectly roasted with a layer of crackling on top. As you watch, the roast is cut and you hear the sounds of the knife breaking through the crackling to the juicy, tender meat beneath.

A slice of the tender, white meat is placed on your plate with a strip of crackling. Roasted potatoes - crispy and golden brown on the outside; fluffy and soft on the inside - are laid alongside. Steamed seasonal vegetables finish the picture you see on your plate.

Just before the plate is set before you freshly-made, warm applesauce is spooned over the pork and onto the plate.

Cooking a pork roast can be a bit daunting for some, between worrying about cooking the meat through completely and trying to get the skin to crackle over the top.

Check my tips for the perfect roast

The Best Pork Joint

rolled pork shoulder with scored skin

With any roast dinner, it starts with the meat. I prefer a rolled shoulder myself. Others may like the loin.

The difficult part of cooking a pork roast is getting the skin to turn into crackling. I have found that this method gets a good crackle every time.

Take the pork from the fridge and dry it thoroughly. Let it sit out for at least an hour. Using a sharp knife, slice the skin through into the layer of fat underneath. Be very careful not to cut the string holding the roast together. Take a tablespoon of salt and rub that into the skin. Let it sit out another 10 - 15 minutes.

The roast must be as dry as possible. Cutting the skin and into the fat allows the fat to be released while the pork is cooking. It also makes it easier to eat the crackling afterwards. The salt also serves to help release the fat and pull out any remaining moisture.

Preheat the oven to Gas mark 6/ 400F/200C/moderately hot.

Roast it in the oven, without covering, for the specified time.
25 minutes per pound + 25 minutes

Rotate the joint halfway through cooking.

Very important - Do not baste the pork joint.

The pork is done when the juices run clear. I use a skewer to poke through the center of the joint.

Applesauce

Pork and applesauce just go together. And it is quick and easy to make your own at home.

I never knew just how easy it is to make applesauce until I started cooking my own.

bramley apples

• Take one large cooking apple. I like to use a bramley.
• Peel it.
• Quarter it.
• Core it.
• Cut it into small chunks.
• Put it into a small saucepan along with a teaspoon of sugar and a splash of water.
• Cover.
• Put it over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples have all softened down.
• Add a knob of butter.
• Use a fork to stir it all together and break up any remaining lumps.

Take the applesauce off the heat and cover. Keep it warm until ready to serve.

One large bramley apple makes plenty of applesauce for 2 adults and 2 children. Bramley Apple image by Marcin Floryan (Own work (own photo)) [CC-BY-SA-2.5], via Wikimedia Commons 

How much is a knob of butter?

A knob of Butter is, at best, an inaccurate measurement that really means a "dollop". While certainly, some people maintain that a "knob" is around 2 tablespoons, there are as many folks that maintain that the closest measurement to a "knob" is about 2 tsps.
Another definition for "knob" of butter is the amount of butter you get when you slice the corner of a block of butter to form an isosceles right-angled tetrahedron equal to half the height of the block of butter. About 2 teaspoons in other words.

 

Achiote-Roasted Pork Tacos with Pickled Red Onions

I first made this dish from the Mexican Yucatan region for a Midwinter Solstice celebration several years ago. I like this recipe because most of it can be done in advance, so that I can be with my family and friends.

It is easy to make, looks and smells delicious, and will make your guests think you slaved for hours to make it.

Tacos de Cochinita Pibil

Serves 6 to 8

Achiote pork tacos

Garlicky Achiote Paste

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons achiote seeds
2 teaspoons allspice, preferably freshly ground
1 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground
1 1/2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
3 Tablespoons cider vinegar
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 generous teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons Seville orange juice OR 50ml fresh lime juice plus 2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice

Method:
Finely pulverise the achiote seeds in a spice grinder. Transfer that to a small bowl and add the allspice, pepper, Mexican oregano, and vinegar. Mix to make a crumbly, thick mixture.

Roughly chop the garlic, sprinkle with the salt, and work the two into a smooth paste with the side of your knife. Add the achiote mixture and work the two together, then dribble on enough water to make a thick, but spreadable paste. This will take 1 - 2 Tablespoons water, added slowly.

In a large bowl, mix together the achiote seasoning and juice. Lay in the meat, turn it over to cover every bit, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.

Pork

Remaining ingredients:
900gm (2 pound) piece lean, boneless pork shoulder
two 30 X 45 cm pieces banana leaves (if you can find them)


Method:
Turn on the oven to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3.
Use a large, ovenproof pot.
If using, drape the 2 banana leaves over the bottom and up the sides of the pot in the shape of a cross.
Set the meat in the middle, scraping all the marinating juices on top.
Fold the banana leaves over the meat to enclose it.
If you're not using the banana leaves, just scrape the marinade over the top of the meat.

Drizzle 250ml water around the meat, cover it tightly, and roast it in the oven until it is very tender and the meat falls apart. About 3 hours.

Occasionally check the liquid level in the pot, add more water if needed.

Remove the meat to a cutting board. Pour the juices into a large jug or gravy separator. Let both cool slightly. Spoon the fat off the juices.

Roughly chop or shred the meat, sprinkle with a little salt and return it to the pot.

Pour a small amount of the juice onto the meat to keep it moist. Cover the meat and keep it warm over a low heat.

Transfer the remaining juices to a small saucepan. If you have more than 250 ml (1 cup) juices, boil to reduce it further. Then remove from heat, cover and keep warm.

      These recipes came from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen
 

Make it in advance

This recipe can be made two or three days ahead of time up to this stage.
Cover and refrigerate the meat separately from the juices.
Reheat the meat and the juices before serving.

To serve

16 to 18 fresh corn tortillas
Pickled Red Onions
Coriander (cilantro) to garnish

Steam the tortillas to warm them. Keep warm while serving.
Place the shredded meat on a serving platter.
Garnish with the sprigs of coriander, if desired.
Roll 2 generous tablespoons of meat into each tortilla.
Top with a bit of the meat juices along with some of the pickled onions.

Pickled Red Onions

pickled red onions

 

Peel and thinly slice 1 small red onion. Blanch the slices in boiling salted water for 45 seconds, drain and place in a medium-size bowl.

Coarsely grind 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano in a mortar or spice grinder, then add the parboiled onions.

Add 2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 80ml cider vinegar plus enough water to barely cover.

Stir well and let it stand for several hours.