Pork Chops with Pearled Barley, Wild Garlic and Purple Sprouting Broccoli
Okay, I hold my hands up, this one's a bit poncey and pretentious. It contains things like "pearl barley" and "wild garlic" and "purple sprouting broccoli" but bear with me here... All this fancy stuff is actually readily available these days - you can even go out looking for wild garlic in the countryside, just follow your nose! - so I say we should all make the most of it!
What's more all of these foods are best eaten right now - a true celebration of Spring! I had a few impromptu guests round for dinner last night and I served this up for them. Safe to say it went down a treat and I will be making it again and again.
Pork Chops with Pearled Barley, Wild Garlic and Purple Sprouting Broccoli
Serves 4
6 onions, thinly sliced
A few knobs of butter
300g pearled barley
100ml dry cider or dry white wine
500ml-750ml good quality fresh chicken stock
4 British, free-range pork chops (with no skin but a bit of fat left on), at room temperature
Olive oil for rubbing
2 handfuls purple sprouting broccoli
100g wild garlic, washed well (or the same quantity of spinach mixed with 2 chopped garlic cloves)
In a large, covered saucepan, cook the onions gently with a small knob of butter over a low heat for 20 minutes until very tender. Remove the lid, turn up the heat and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until caramelised.
Meanwhile toast the barley in a dry pan until it browns slightly and smells biscuit-y. Tip the barley into a large pan of water and bring to the boil. Drain, then rinse under cold running water to remove the excess starch.
Add the barley to the softened onions along with a splash of the cider (or wine) and 500ml chicken stock. Season and simmer gently until cooked (about 15-20 minutes). Add a little extra stock if it looks dry.
Season the chops generously with salt but not pepper, then rub lightly with oil. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and sear the chops on both sides until they have a caramelised crust. Sear the fat and edges of the chop well.
When the chops are well seared, reduce the heat and cook gently for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally. When cooked through – a digital probe thermometer pushed into the thickest part of the meat should read about 70°C – transfer to a warm plate to rest and dab a knob of butter on top. Add the remaining cider (or wine) to the pork pan over a medium heat and stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve any caramelised bits, then pour the pan juices over the chops.
Warm the barley again, adding more stock if needed. Taste, adjust the seasoning and add a knob of butter. Meanwhile, cook the broccoli in salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Add the wild garlic (or garlicky spinach) to the spelt and stir to wilt slightly. Serve the barley and wild garlic with the chops on top and the broccoli on the side.
What's more all of these foods are best eaten right now - a true celebration of Spring! I had a few impromptu guests round for dinner last night and I served this up for them. Safe to say it went down a treat and I will be making it again and again.
Pork Chops with Pearled Barley, Wild Garlic and Purple Sprouting Broccoli
Serves 4
6 onions, thinly sliced
A few knobs of butter
300g pearled barley
100ml dry cider or dry white wine
500ml-750ml good quality fresh chicken stock
4 British, free-range pork chops (with no skin but a bit of fat left on), at room temperature
Olive oil for rubbing
2 handfuls purple sprouting broccoli
100g wild garlic, washed well (or the same quantity of spinach mixed with 2 chopped garlic cloves)
In a large, covered saucepan, cook the onions gently with a small knob of butter over a low heat for 20 minutes until very tender. Remove the lid, turn up the heat and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until caramelised.
Meanwhile toast the barley in a dry pan until it browns slightly and smells biscuit-y. Tip the barley into a large pan of water and bring to the boil. Drain, then rinse under cold running water to remove the excess starch.
Add the barley to the softened onions along with a splash of the cider (or wine) and 500ml chicken stock. Season and simmer gently until cooked (about 15-20 minutes). Add a little extra stock if it looks dry.
Season the chops generously with salt but not pepper, then rub lightly with oil. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and sear the chops on both sides until they have a caramelised crust. Sear the fat and edges of the chop well.
When the chops are well seared, reduce the heat and cook gently for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally. When cooked through – a digital probe thermometer pushed into the thickest part of the meat should read about 70°C – transfer to a warm plate to rest and dab a knob of butter on top. Add the remaining cider (or wine) to the pork pan over a medium heat and stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve any caramelised bits, then pour the pan juices over the chops.
Warm the barley again, adding more stock if needed. Taste, adjust the seasoning and add a knob of butter. Meanwhile, cook the broccoli in salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Add the wild garlic (or garlicky spinach) to the spelt and stir to wilt slightly. Serve the barley and wild garlic with the chops on top and the broccoli on the side.
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