Pork chops with crackling, cider-braised red cabbage & salad onion butter

Name: Pork chops with crackling, cider-braised red cabbage & salad onion butter
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: ½ medium red cabbage, core removed; 2 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed or olive oil; 10 g butter; 2 red onions, thinly sliced; 1 Bramley apple, peeled and grated; 1 tbsp cider vinegar; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 bay leaves; 1 tbsp dark brown soft sugar; 1 tsp salt; 500 ml bottle No.1 English Vintage Cider

Melissa Thompson's pork dish nods to winter staples whilst retaining some lightness of texture.

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Serves4
CourseMain meal
Prepare20 mins
Cook1 hr 15 mins
Total time1 hr 35 mins

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For the red cabbage

½ medium red cabbage, core removed
2 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed or olive oil
10g butter
2 red onions, thinly sliced
1 Bramley apple, peeled and grated
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp dark brown soft sugar
1 tsp salt
500ml bottle No.1 English Vintage Cider

For the pork chops

4 Waitrose Duchy Organic Free Range British Pork Chops
½ tsp salt
2 tsp cold-pressed rapeseed or olive oil, for rubbing

For the salad onion butter

Bunch salad onions, coarsely chopped, green and white parts separated
1 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed or olive oil
115g salted butter, softened
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 unwaxed lemon, zested then quartered

Lay the cabbage flat-side down on a chopping board. Starting at the top, cut into thin strips just under 1cm thick. Add the oil and butter to a lidded saucepan. Over a medium heat, fry the onions for a couple of minutes, then add the cabbage, apple, vinegar, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, sugar, salt and cider. Stir well, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove and keep the skin from the pork. Move to a plate and rub with the ½ tsp salt. Cover the plate with something like an upturned mixing bowl, so the skin is covered but able to dry out a bit. Leave for 30 minutes.
As the cabbage cooks and the skin salts, make the salad onion butter. Heat 1 tbsp oil and 15g butter in a small saucepan, then fry the white salad onion parts over a medium heat for 5-7 minutes until softened
Add the paprika and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes more, then leave to cool in a bowl. Add the green parts of the salad onions, lemon zest, the remaining butter and a grind of black pepper. Mix well. Cover and chill until needed.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Pat the pork skin dry, move it to a small roasting tin and roast until crispy, about 30 minutes.
When the cabbage has cooked for 50 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high and cook until most of the remaining liquid has evaporated, about 10-12 minutes. Turn off the heat, put the lid back on and leave to rest.
Meanwhile, rub the chops with 2 tsp rapeseed or olive oil. In a large frying pan over a medium heat, brown the fat edge of each chop, using tongs, for 2 minutes until the fat is golden. Fry the chops together for 6 minutes on each side, or until the pork is golden and cooked through with no pink meat and the juices run clear. Just before the chops are ready, add 2 tbsp salad onion butter to the pan, coat the chops, then remove to a clean plate to rest.
Serve the chops with another 1 tsp salad onion butter over the top and the pan and resting juices. Add a lemon wedge to squeeze over, then serve with the crackling, red cabbage and some roast or mashed potatoes, if liked.

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe