Jerk-spiced Pork Chops with Sweet Potato Wedges and Thyme Salt
Introduction
Any leftover marinade can be stored in the fridge for a few days. You can use it with any grilled meat or fish, and it’s great any time of the year.
Ingredients
| 4 x 150g (5oz) | pork chops |
| Lime wedges, to serve | |
| For the marinade: | |
| 1 tbsp | allspice berries |
| 1 tbsp | black peppercorns |
| ½ tsp | ground cinnamon |
| ½ | nutmeg, freshly grated |
| ¼ bunch | of thyme, leaves picked |
| 5 | spring onions, roughly chopped |
| 3 | garlic cloves, roughly chopped |
| 1 | Scotch bonnet chilli, seeded and roughly chopped |
| 1 tbsp | dark brown sugar |
| 2 tbsp | dark soy sauce |
| Juice of 1 lime | |
| Sea salt | |
| For the roast sweet potatoes: | |
| Vegetable oil, for roasting | |
| 4 | sweet potatoes, cut into eighths |
| 2 tsp | sea salt |
| 5 | thyme sprigs, leaves picked and roughly pounded in a pestle and mortar |
Essential kit
You will need a pestle and mortar and a food processor.
Instructions
In a pestle and mortar, pound the allspice and the peppercorns to a powder, then add to a food processor along with the cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme, spring onions, garlic and chilli. Blend to a paste, then stir in the sugar, soy sauce and lime juice. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, then add the pork and rub the marinade into the meat along with a little salt. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
When you are ready to roast the potatoes, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Pour a very generous glug of oil into a shallow baking tray so that it’s about ½cm (¼in) deep, then place in the oven for 5 minutes to heat up. When the oil’s hot, add the sweet potatoes, toss quickly, and roast for 12-15 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
Meanwhile, heat a barbecue or griddle pan so that it’s nice and hot, but not searing. Cook over a medium heat for 4 minutes each side. Leave to rest for a couple of minutes.
Remove the potatoes from the oven, stir 2 teaspoonfuls of salt through the bashed-up thyme and sprinkle over the hot potatoes. Serve with the pork chops, putting a wedge of lime on each plate.
Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus 4 hours' marinating. Cook time: 20-25 minutes.
