Grilled Chops with Bean Mash

Chops are totally underrated - lamb or pork, I love them both! I used pork chops and nectarines here as that's what I happened to have in but, as you will see, this recipe can be adapted to suit whatever you fancy.

This is really hearty and flavourful dish which doesn't take much effort, making it perfect for any day of the week. If you wanted to make it a bit more fun, you could even do your grilling on your barbecue. When it comes to the mash, I like to jazz mine up with a good dollop of horseradish sauce and the juice of a lemon but you could always use mustard instead or leave this step out altogether.

Grilled Chops with Bean Mash
Serves 2

oil
2 pork chops or 4 lamb chops
2 small peaches/nectarines/apples, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
400g tin butterbeans or cannellini beans
2 handfuls baby spinach (or 2 balls frozen spinach)
juice of 1 lemon (optional)
2 tbsp horseradish sauce or 1 tbsp mustard (optional)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a small saucepan over a medium high heat with a drizzle of oil. Add the onion with a good pinch of salt and leave to cook down for 5 minutes until soft. Stir through the garlic and continue to cook for a couple of minutes before adding the beans together with their liquid. Allow to cook down for 5 more minutes then mash with a stick blender or potato masher, season with the lemon juice, salt and pepper and set aside.

Put a griddle or large frying pan over a super high heat and let it get smoking hot. Drizzle oil over your chops and rub until coated all over. Put the chops fat-side down in the hot pan and sear until the fat is nicely crisp. Turn the pan down slightly and then cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. The cooking will depend on the thickness of the chops and the type of meat. Pork and lamb should be 60C inside - if you don't have a thermometer, just cut through the thickest part of the meat to check. Remove from the pan and wrap in tinfoil to rest.

Drizzle a little oil over the fruit of your choice and add to the pan where you cooked the meat. Turn the pan right down and leave to char. Meanwhile, stir the spinach and the horseradish/mustard through the bean mash over a low heat to warm through. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

To serve, divide the mash between two plates, season the chops and fruit with a good amount of salt and pepper and then serve alongside.

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