Piri piri pork chop

We have an Ogden Nash fan at home who has a poem for every occasion. I’m not much into poetry myself (though I did a mean rendition of Sukumar Ray’s Baburam Sapure when I was a wee lad), but one poem that I’ve heard often enough — especially when we eat pork — is worth recalling. It’s an ode to the pig.

The pig, if I’m not mistaken

Supplies us sausage, ham and bacon

Let others say his heart is big —

I call it stupid of the pig

I don’t. I really think its heart is big. For we don’t just get sausage, ham and bacon — we get pork chops from that generous animal too. I love pork — but I love pork chops more than any other form of the meat.

I was happy to know, during a recent visit to Calcutta, that chef Sharad Dewan of The Park loves pork chops too. You get the best meats in Calcutta, he says, but pork is especially loved there, thanks possibly to the English and Anglo-Indian influence on the food in the city. “Pork is very popular at The Park,” he elaborates, “but pork chop tops it all.”

Baked pork chops with Parmesan sage crust

So when the chef, who is the director of food production, told me that he was going to share some of his favourite pork chop recipes with us, I was over the moon. I love collecting recipes for pork chops. It’s an interest that I share with some friends, who wield a mean ladle too. I always recall the magic that a friend once weaved with some chops and mango jam. Another friend used left-over Bloody Mary on pork chops and came up with a mouth-watering dish.

Recipes from the chef are going to add to our shared knowledge. Take, for instance, his piri piri pork chop with black grape jus and bacon rice. He cooks this simply — by first mixing piri piri powder with oil and applying it to the pork chops. He adds some crushed garlic to the chops and sets them aside for a while. He sautés bacon and mixes cooked rice with it. He grills the chops and serves them with bacon rice and a sauce made with grapes and butter.

The mastery lies in ensuring that the pork chops are tender after being cooked. The meat gets dry very easily, especially when you bake it. One way of keeping it soft is by not cutting off the fat before cooking it. There was a time when I used to meticulously trim the fat off the chops, much to the chagrin of my friends from the northeast, who love the fat almost as much as they love the meat. I was once persuaded to retain the fat, and realised then that the meat came out nice and tender because of it. If you are queasy about fat, you can always remove it when the meat is done.

You have to be careful when you buy your pork chops. Chefs tell me that the most tender part is the chop that’s been cut from the loin. Chops from the ribs are soft too, but less so. And marinating them for a few hours — if not more — can only add to the taste.

Pork chops can be done in different ways. My musician friend Rahul Ram fries it on a skillet after marinating it overnight with soy sauce, honey, ginger and garlic paste, red wine vinegar and Chinese sesame oil. You can steam it after rubbing some flavours on the chops. Or you can bake it, like chef Dewan does with his pork chops that come with a Parmesan sage crust.

Like Nash, the chef becomes a bit poetic when it comes to pork. “I suppose it is the sheer lusciousness of the sight of a chop, the orgasmic flavour of fresh sweet fat and the twist that we always add to this beautiful meat that prompts people to keep on saying encore,” he says. What can I say to that, but ‘Encore’?

Blueberry glazed pork chops (serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless pork chops • 1tsp fresh ground pepper • 1tsp garlic • 1/2tsp salt •1/8tsp cayenne pepper • 1tbs olive oil • 2 cups frozen blueberries • 1/4 cup sugar • 2tbs chopped fresh parsley • 1tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2tsp dried) • 1tsp chopped fresh sage (or 1/2 tsp dried)

Method:

Mix pepper, garlic, salt and cayenne. Rub this over the pork chops, pressing firmly on to the surface. Brown chops in a heavy frying pan (preferably one that can be put in an oven). Bake at 400°F for 12-15 minutes, till moist but cooked through. Remove the pork chops. Arrange on a plate. Combine remaining ingredients in the pan. Cook until thickened slightly. Pour over the chops. Serve hot.

Tamarind rubbed barbecued pork chops (serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 4 pork chops • 3tbs tamarind paste • 1tbs chopped garlic • 1tbs rice wine vinegar • 1 cup olive oil • 4tbs honey • 3tbs brown sugar • 3tbs ketchup • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste • 5g 5-spice powder

Method:

In a food processor, puree the tamarind paste, garlic, honey, brown sugar, vinegar, oil and ketchup. Season with salt and pepper. The mixture should be smooth. Season each pork chop with 5-spice powder and then rub the prepared puree on each piece. Refrigerate the chops for 24 hours to tenderise the meat and for flavours to seep in. Prepare the coals for the grill or pre-heat an electric grill. Remove the chops from the refrigerator and drain, reserving the marinade. Place the marinade in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for two minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. Place the chops on the grill but not over direct flame and grill for 4-5 minutes on each side for medium, basting several times with the marinade. Remove from the grill and allow to rest for a couple of minutes before serving. Lay the chops on a plate and pour the reduced marinate on top. Serve hot.