Juicy, brined pork chops take on a deep smoky char on the barbecue, remaining incredibly tender inside. Served over grilled sweet potato slices, they are crowned with a vibrant West Indian-style salsa verde. Pineapple, lime and fiery Scotch bonnet cut through the rich meat perfectly.
Prep:over 2 hours
Cook:30 mins to 1 hour
Serves:Serves 2
Dietary:Egg-free, Nut-free
By Sam Evans and Shauna GuinnFrom Saturday Kitchen
This smoky pork chops with West Indian-style salsa verde recipe receives a Nutri-Score of E due to the high fat and salt content from the brine, rapeseed oil, butter and pork alongside low fibre.
Per serving (approximate): 950 kcal, 72g fat (of which 12g saturates), 38g carbohydrates, 18g sugars, 4g fibre, and 42g protein.
Equipment (Top Products)
Ingredients
For the pork chop brine
- 250ml/9fl oz water
- 25g/1oz sea salt flakes
- 25g/1oz light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp garlic granules
- 1 lime, zest only
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp allspice
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 fresh bay leaf
For the pork chops
- 2 boneless pork loin chops, around 200g/7oz each
- 1 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil, plus extra for serving
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large sweet potato, skin scrubbed, cut into 5mm/¼in slices lengthways
- Neutral oil
- 50g salted butter (optional)
- Sea salt
- Seasonal salad leaves (such as lambs lettuce, pea shoots, sorrel leaves), to serve
For the West Indian-style salsa verde
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled
- 2cm/¾in piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 1 Scotch bonnet chilli, cut in half and deseeded
- 5 limes, juice only
- 50ml/2fl oz pineapple juice
- 25g/1oz flatleaf parsley, stalks removed
- 1 tbsp thyme leaves
- 25g/1oz coriander, roughly chopped
- 2 spring onions, roughly chopped
- 150ml/5fl oz cold-pressed rapeseed oil
- 2 tsp lime zest
- 1 tbsp sea salt
Customise
- Swap pork loin chops for boneless chicken thighs if you prefer poultry on the barbecue
- Replace Scotch bonnet chilli with a habanero for a slightly different fruity heat in the salsa verde
- Use mango juice instead of pineapple juice for a sweeter, more tropical twist on the sauce
- Swap sweet potato for butternut squash slices for a lovely seasonal alternative
- Replace coriander with extra flatleaf parsley if you are not a fan of coriander
Method
Make the Brine (10 mins + 3-6 hours resting – do this well ahead)
- Dissolve the brine – Pour 250ml/9fl oz of water into a saucepan and add the sea salt flakes, light brown sugar, garlic granules, lime zest, ground cinnamon, allspice, thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Gently warm the pan until the salt and sugar have completely dissolved, then remove it from the heat.
- Brine the pork – Let the mixture cool completely to room temperature – popping it in the fridge for a bit speeds this up. Once cool, submerge the pork chops in the brine using a plastic tub or sealable bag. Pop them in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours, though 5 to 6 hours is ideal for the most tender, flavourful meat.
Make the Salsa Verde (10 mins – do this while the pork finishes brining)
- Blend the base – Pop the peeled garlic clove, chopped ginger and deseeded Scotch bonnet chilli into a food processor. Pour in the lime and pineapple juices and blend until relatively smooth.
- Pulse in the herbs – Add the flatleaf parsley, thyme leaves, coriander, spring onions, cold-pressed rapeseed oil, lime zest and sea salt. Pulse the mixture until you have a chunky, vibrant sauce – you want to keep a bit of texture rather than turning it into a completely smooth paste. Transfer the salsa verde to a small serving dish and set it aside.
Cook the Pork and Sweet Potato (15 mins – overlap the cooking)
- Prep the pork – Take the pork chops out of the brine and pat them thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. Brush them with the cold-pressed rapeseed oil and sprinkle evenly with the smoked paprika and freshly ground black pepper.
- Grill the chops – Get your barbecue grill or griddle pan smoking hot. Cook the pork chops for 4 minutes on each side until they have a gorgeous smoky char and are cooked through. Move them to a plate and leave them to rest for at least 5 minutes so the juices can redistribute.
- Cook the sweet potato – While the pork is resting, brush the sweet potato slices with a little neutral oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Pop them on the hot grill or griddle and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side until they are tender and have a nice char. If you are using a griddle pan indoors, add a knob of the optional salted butter at the end to baste and caramelise the sweet potato slices beautifully.
Assemble and Serve (5 mins)
- Plate up – Place a charred sweet potato slice in the centre of each serving plate. Slice the rested pork chops and arrange the slices over the sweet potato.
- Add the salsa and garnish – Spoon a few generous tablespoons of the West Indian-style salsa verde over the sliced pork. Add a little pile of seasonal salad leaves on the side, finish with a sprinkle of sea salt and a light drizzle of cold-pressed rapeseed oil. Serve the remaining salsa verde on the table so everyone can help themselves to more of that incredible smoky pork chop topping.
Additional Notes
Brining the pork is the secret to keeping these chops incredibly moist over the high heat of a barbecue. If you are short on time, even a quick 1-hour brine will make a noticeable difference, but the longer you can leave them the better. When handling the Scotch bonnet chillies, consider wearing gloves and absolutely avoid touching your eyes, as they carry a serious kick even after you have removed the seeds.