SERVES: 4 | PREP TIME: 25 MINUTES | MARINATING TIME: 2–4 HOURS | GRILLING TIME: 6–8 MINUTES
CHILLING TIME: ABOUT 1 HOUR | SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: CHARCOAL GRILL, ALL-NATURAL LUMP CHARCOAL
MARINADE
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons finely chopped
rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless or bone-in pork chops,
each about 225g/8oz and 2.5cm/
1 inch thick
BUTTER
75g/3oz unsalted butter, softened
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
leaves
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
It’s time to play with fire. The idea of setting a charcoal ember on a slice of seasoned butter right before serving the marinated pork chops is much more than a show-stopping scene. Yes, the butter will smoke viciously and melt over the sides of the chops. Yes, your guests will gasp with delight. But the real excitement is in the flavour that the infused butter adds to the chops. Of course, you should only use 100% natural lump charcoal for this technique.
1 Mix the marinade ingredients, including
1¼ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
Coat the pork chops on all sides with
the marinade, place in a bowl, cover and
refrigerate for 2–4 hours. Meanwhile,
make the butter.
2 In a bowl, mash the butter ingredients,
including ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon
pepper, with the back of a fork. Form the
mixture into a log, 7.5–10cm/3–4 inches
long. Set the log in the bowl, cover and
refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3 Prepare the charcoal grill with all-natural
lump charcoal for direct cooking over
medium-high heat (200–230°C/
400–450°F).
4 Lift the pork chops from the bowl, allowing
the excess marinade to drip off, and discard
the marinade. Grill the chops over grilling/
direct medium-high heat for 6–8 minutes,
with the lid closed, until still slightly pink in
the centre, turning once. Transfer to a metal
tray and allow to rest for 3–5 minutes. Cut
the butter lengthways into four long pieces
and set each one on top of a pork chop.
Using long-handled tongs, lift a large ember,
about the size of an orange, from the bed of
charcoal and very carefully set the burning
ember on top of each piece of butter for
1–2 seconds. The butter will smoke and
melt. Return the burning ember to the
grill. Serve the pork chops straightaway.
ROSEMARY-LEMON PORK CHOPS WITH EMBER-SMOKED BUTTER
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