Serves: 2

I absolutely love porchetta: stuffed, rolled and roasted pork belly.

What isn’t to love?

Unfortunately, Nat doesn’t share my love for pork belly and so when we cook really any form of pork belly, it’s a treat: probably how it should be anyway.

Anyway, it was my turn to cook a late, Italian lunch and I nominated that a pork chop be at the centre. And I managed to get my nomination over the line!

Then I found this recipe on the New York Times: thousands and thousands of five-star reviews, always a reliable omen.

An absolutely excellent cheat’s porchetta. 1-hat Italian sort of stuff.

The flavour of porchetta, essentially the ease of cooking a pork chop.

An absolute treat. A must cook. Especially alongside these incredible brussels sprouts and this Lidia Bastianich onion and potato gratin.

Ingredients

2 bone-in pork chops, 3cm – 4cm thick
1 tsp sea salt, plus a pinch
1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp chopped rosemary
Large pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
2 tbsp chopped fennel fronds, more for garnish
2 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180c. Pat the pork chops dry and using a very sharp paring knife, cut a large pocket into the fat-covered edge of the pork chop. Season chops all over with 1 tsp salt including inside the pockets.
2. Finely grate zest from the lemon and put in a small bowl. Cut lemon in half ready to juice over the cooked pork.
3. Using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a knife, mash the garlic with a pinch of salt until you get a paste. Add to the bowl with the lemon zest and stir in the rosemary, pepper flakes, fennel seeds, 2 tbsp fennel fronds and 1 tbsp olive oil.
4. Divide the filling between the pork chops, filling the pockets and rubbing the rest on the outside.
5. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over a high heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Sear pork chops on one side for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Gently turn over the chops and cook for a further 1 minute, and then transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook until the meat is just done, 5 – 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fennel fronds and a good squeeze of lemon juice.