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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Ingredients

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

Method

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.