Click on the image, above to submit to Pinterest.

Pork Chops with Sloe Sauce and Savoy Cabbage

Pork Chops with Sloe Sauce and Savoy Cabbage is a traditional English recipe (originating in Cornwall) for classic dish of fried pork chops served with wilted savoy cabbage and sloe-based sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic English version of: Pork Chops with Sloe Sauce and Savoy Cabbage.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

45 minutes

Total Time:

65 minutes

Serves:

2

Rating:

Tags : Wild FoodSauce RecipesPork RecipesBritish RecipesEnglish RecipesCornish Recipes

I love sloes, and pick them every autumn. They're used for making sloe gin, sloe brandy, hedgerow jams and even pies (don't discard the sloes from flavouring spirits, they make wonderful pie fillings). Sloes are also a really wonderful flavouring for home-made Christmas mincemeat. So I was really interested when I saw this Cornish recipe. Sloes really should go wonderfully well with pork, the tartness of the fruit complementing the fattiness of the meat. Though sloes are traditionally picked in October after the first frost, this year's autumn rains and hot summers has made them super-ripe and plump even in early September and they're much sweeter than normal; no need to freeze.

Ingredients:

1 small Savoy cabbage (about 400g [14oz]), cored and with the leaves shredded
1–2 tbsp virgin rapeseed oil
2 pork chops (about 250g [9oz] each)
1 tsp olive oil
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

For the Sloe Sauce:
handful of sloes or bullaces (approximately 100g [3½oz])
15g (½oz) butter (only needed if the pork chops don’t yield much fat)
1 banana shallot, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or grated
100ml (2/5 cup) red wine
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
100–120ml (2/5-1/2 cup) chicken or other meat stock
1 tbsp runny honey (or soft brown sugar)

Method:

Transfer the cabbage to a large, lidded, sauce pan. Pour over just enough water to cover, bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and return to the pan. Add the rapeseed oil and stir to coat the cabbage. Season to taste, cover and place over very low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the cabbage is softened.

Rub the chops with the olive oil and season on both sides with salt and black pepper. Place a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. When hot add the chops and cook for 4-6 minutes per side and fry until cooked through (internal temperature of 71C). Make certain the fat is browned along the edge. Transfer to a cutting board, cover with foil and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Pour the fat into a saucepan.

In the meantime, prepare the sauce. Stone the sauce (either do this beforehand with a cherry pitter or remove the stones after cooking [easier but messy]).

Place the fruit in a small pan and pour over just enough water to cover (150ml [3/5 cup] should be enough water). Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and peach the fruit for about 5 minutes until broken down a little. Take off the heat and set aside.

Heat the saucepan with the reserved pork fat (if they did not render much fat add the butter). Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients and the poached fruit (ensure all stones are removed at this point). Bring everything to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes. Taste the sauce and sweeten with honey or sugar, if needed. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Transfer the chops to warmed plates, spoon over the sauce and serve alongside the cabbage.