Iberico Pork Chops With Potato Purée And Greens

Golden, caramelised Iberico pork chops boast incredible marbling that keeps the meat exceptionally juicy. Served alongside a silky, butter-enriched potato purée and gently wilted greens, the dish is brought together with a vibrant, savoury cognac and white wine sauce punctuated by capers and mustard.

Prep: less than 30 mins

Cook: 10 to 30 mins

Serves: Serves 2

Dietary: Egg-free, Nut-free

By Freddy Bird
From Saturday Kitchen Best Bites

This Iberico pork chops with potato purée and greens dish receives a Nutri-Score of E due to the high saturated fat content from the pork, butter, cream and pig’s trotter.

Per serving (approximate): 1400 kcal, 95g fat (of which 45g saturates), 45g carbohydrates, 6g sugars, 4g fibre, and 55g protein.

Equipment

Ingredients

For the sauce

1 pig’s trotter, roughly chopped
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
½ carrot, peeled and diced
½ onion, diced
1 celery stick, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
75ml/2½fl oz cognac
125ml/4fl oz white wine
1 litre/1¾ pints good-quality chicken stock
½ banana shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp capers, finely chopped
2 tsp cornichons, finely chopped
2 dill sprigs, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped fresh chives
1 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard

For the potato purée

250g/9oz King Edward potatoes, peeled and chopped into even-sized pieces
75ml/2½fl oz double cream
1 garlic clove, peeled
50–75g/1¾–2¾oz butter
Pinch of salt

For the pork chops

2 tbsp olive oil
2 Iberico pork chops

To serve

Handful leafy greens (such as kale, chard, cavolo nero)

Customise

Swap Iberico pork chops for thick-cut ribeye steaks and use the same cognac and white wine sauce as a rich peppercorn-style topping
Replace capers with finely chopped gherkins if you prefer a milder, less salty tang in the sauce
Swap King Edward potatoes for Maris Piper potatoes to achieve an equally fluffy potato purée
Use spinach instead of hardy greens like kale or cavolo nero for a quicker-wilting side dish
Replace grapeseed oil with a light vegetable oil if you do not have it to hand

Method

Caramelise the Trotter and Start the Sauce Base (50 mins — mostly hands-off, start here)

Preheat and roast the trotter — Set your oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Spread the roughly chopped pig’s trotter pieces out in a roasting tin and roast them for 30 to 40 minutes until they are deeply caramelised. This step adds a wonderful, savoury depth to the base of your cognac and white wine sauce that you simply cannot get from stock alone.
Sweat the vegetables — While the trotter roasts, heat the grapeseed oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the diced carrot, onion, celery and chopped garlic, then let them sweat gently for 10 minutes until softened but not coloured.
Build the sauce — Add the roasted pig’s trotter to the vegetables and cook for another 10 minutes. Pour in the cognac and white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any sticky bits from the bottom, and let the liquid reduce by half. Add the chicken stock and continue to simmer until the sauce reduces and thickens into a glossy, rich consistency.
Strain and finish the sauce — Pass the sauce through a sieve set over a bowl, discarding the solids. Return the strained liquid to the pan and stir in the finely chopped banana shallot, capers, cornichons, dill, chives and wholegrain mustard. Set this vibrant sauce aside and keep it warm.

Boil the Potatoes and Infuse the Cream (20 mins — overlap with the sauce simmering)

Boil the potatoes — Place the chopped King Edward potatoes in a saucepan, cover them with cold water, and bring to the boil. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until they are completely tender when pierced with a knife.
Infuse the cream — While the potatoes boil, combine the double cream and the peeled garlic clove in a small saucepan. Warm it gently so the garlic infuses its flavour into the cream without letting it boil.

Finish the Potato Purée (5 mins — while the sauce reduces and waits)

Mash the potato purée — Drain the potatoes thoroughly and pass them through a potato ricer or mash them until perfectly smooth. Add the warm garlic-infused cream and the butter to the potatoes in a bowl, then mix until combined and velvety. Season with a pinch of salt and keep warm.

Cook the Iberico Pork Chops (10 mins — do this right before serving)

Sear the meat — Make sure your oven is still at 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Heat a frying pan until very hot, then add the olive oil. Fry the Iberico pork chops on both sides until they are nicely caramelised and golden, which should take about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Roast and rest the chops — Transfer the seared chops to a baking tray and pop them in the hot oven for about 4 minutes to finish cooking through. Remove them from the oven and leave them to rest for 5 minutes before carving — this resting time is essential as it allows the juices to redistribute, keeping the Iberico pork chops incredibly moist.

Wilt the Greens and Serve (5 mins — do this while the meat rests)

Wilt the greens — Whilst the pork chops are resting, pop your leafy greens into a saucepan with a tiny splash of water and gently wilt them for a few minutes until they are tender but still brightly coloured.
Plate up — Carve the rested Iberico pork chops and serve them alongside the silky potato purée and the wilted greens. Spoon the warm cognac and white wine sauce generously over the top of the chops and serve immediately while everything is piping hot.

Additional Notes

Do not skip the resting step for the Iberico pork chops, as the high marbling of the meat needs time to relax so the juices redistribute evenly rather than running out onto the plate. If you cannot find a pig’s trotter, you can use a few pieces of smoked bacon bone to add depth to the cognac and white wine sauce, though the trotter provides the most luxurious texture and body.