Crispy Pork Chops with Pak Choi

Quick, easy and flavourful - this is the perfect mid-week meal! As I've said before, pork chops are wildly unrated in this country so grab yourself a bargain and make this delicious dish.

This recipe has it all: crispy pork fat, juicy meat and pan-Asian inspired veg with plenty of punch. I actually used the Japanese seven-spice powder known as 'togarashi' which contains red chilli peppers, sichuan peppercorns, dried orange peel, black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds, ground ginger, poppy seeds and nori (seaweed). You can always use Chinese five-spice if you prefer.

Crispy Pork Chops with Pak Choi

Serves 2

oil

1 bunch spring onions, cut into 2cm pieces

2 pak choi, roughly chopped

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp Chinese five-spice or Japanese seven-spice powder

2 pork chops

1 tsp white wine vinger

1 tsp soy sauce

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the spring onions and the white parts of the pak choi and cook for 5-6 minutes until starting to brown. Add the fennel seeds, a good pinch of salt and spice mix. Cook for 1 minute more tossing the coat the onions and pak choi, Remove from the pan and set aside.

Rub the pork chops with a little oil and season with salt and pepper all over. Turn the heat under the frying pan up to high, then place the chops skin side down (you may need to use tongs to hold the chops in place). After 2-3 minutes the fat should have crisped up. Cook on the flat sides of the chops for a further 2-3 minutes per side.

Return the spring onions and pak choi to the pan with a splash of water, the white wine vinegar and soy sauce. Bubble for a minute to heat through then serve with the pork chops alongside.