Pork-centric recipes from new cookbook ‘Hog’

Go whole hog – or just a few pork chops – with recipes from butcher and meat supplier Richard H. Turner, curator of the United Kingdom’s Meatopia festival.

Here are a couple of offerings from his comprehensive new cookbook.

Fried Pork Chops in a Parmesan and Garlic Crust

From “Hog” by Richard H. Turner

4 thin-cut pork chops

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 free-range eggs, seasoned and beaten

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, seasoned with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Scant 1/2 cup olive oil, for frying

Lightly season pork chops with salt and pepper, and set aside.

In a food processor, blend garlic, bread crumbs and Parmesan to a sandy texture, then place in a shallow bowl. Place the eggs in another bowl and the seasoned flour in a third bowl.

Douse the pork chops in the seasoned flour. Then dip them in the egg and finally coat them with the Parmesan and garlic bread crumbs. Heat the olive oil in a shallow skillet over medium heat and fry the crumbed chops 2 at a time, until cooked through.

Drain the chops on paper towels and serve with pasta or risotto.

Serves: 4

Bacon Marmalade

From “Hog” by Richard H. Turner

1 pound, 2 ounces smoked bacon belly, cut into strips

4 onions, very finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup strongly brewed coffee

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup bourbon

Scant 1/2 cup orange marmalade

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until the fat is rendered and the bacon is lightly browned. Transfer the bacon to plates lined with paper towels and let the fat drain off.

Pour off most of the bacon fat left behind in the pan and reserve it for another use. Add the onions and garlic to the skillet and cook for about 12 minutes, or until the onions have cooked down and caramelized. Add the coffee, vinegar, bourbon and orange marmalade and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring and scraping up any browned sediment sticking to the skillet. Add the bacon strips and stir to combine.

Reduce the heat to a bare simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid almost completely evaporates and the mixture becomes thick. This should take about 1 hour.

Let the mixture cool slightly, then spoon into individual, sterilized jars, seal and refrigerate. Use to spread on toast or as a garnish. It will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.