Pork Chops with Roast Vegetables and Walnut Picada

Ingredients

For the roast vegetables

150g/5½oz sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling

1 rosemary sprig

2 thyme sprigs

2 garlic cloves

40g/1½oz small candy beetroot, scrubbed and cut in half

40g/1½oz small beetroot, scrubbed and cut in half

40g/1½oz small yellow beetroot, scrubbed and cut in half

100g/3½oz new season carrots, peeled

100ml/3½fl oz red wine vinegar

20g/¾oz beetroot leaves, to serve

For the pork chops

2 x 250g/9oz pork chops, preferably Gloucester Old Spot, French trimmed

olive oil, for seasoning

lemon juice, for seasoning

freshly ground black pepper

For the walnut picada

100ml/3½fl oz olive oil

1 slice day-old bread, roughly chopped

20g/¾oz walnuts, roasted

1 garlic clove, chopped

20ml/¾fl oz red wine vinegar

20g/¾oz fresh flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped

20g/¾oz fresh dill, picked

Method

To make the roast vegetables, preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Sprinkle a roasting tin with half the sea salt and the herbs and garlic. Place the beets and carrots on the salt, sprinkle with the vinegar and remaining salt and cover with kitchen foil. Bake for 40–50 minutes or until the beetroots and carrots are very tender. Carefully brush all the salt from the vegetables.

To cook the pork chops, preheat a griddle pan to medium–hot. Season the meat with olive oil, salt and pepper, then place on the griddle, moving around all the time to get an even caramelisation all over the skin and fat. Check they’re cooked through by inserting a skewer into the centre of the meat to see if the juices run clear. Remove from the griddle pan and season with olive oil and lemon juice. Leave to rest, reserving the resting juices.

To make the walnut picada, heat half the oil in a frying pan and lightly fry the bread, walnuts, garlic, 1 tablespoon water and vinegar until the liquid is reduced by half (the water may have been absorbed, that’s fine). Add the fresh herbs and season well.

To serve, cut the carrots in half lengthways, then in half again, and halve the beetroots. Place the carrots, beetroot and beetroot leaves over the base of a serving plate and top with the pork chops so the bone is pointing upwards. Dress the pork with a few bits of beetroot and beetroot leaves and spoon the walnut picada over. Finish with the resting juices and the remaining olive oil.