Pork chop with burnt apple sauce, cider jus, cider mustard and grilled spring onions

Telegraph

08-05-2025

This is spring on a plate: thick pork chops grilled over fire, served with a smoky burnt-apple sauce, a tangy cider mustard and a glossy pan jus. Fat spring onions are blackened on the grill and split open to reveal their soft, sweet insides. It's ideally done outside over fire or on a hot griddle for that essential smokiness.
Requires soaking time.
Overview
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
45 mins
Serves
4
Ingredients
For the cider mustard
2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
2 tbsp brown mustard seeds
100ml dry cider
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
For the burnt-apple sauce
3 sharp apples (Bramley or Russet), halved
1 tsp sugar
cider vinegar, to taste
For the pork
4 thick, bone-in rare breed pork chops (250–300g each), rind removed
neutral oil
For the jus
150ml dry cider
300ml good chicken stock
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp cider vinegar
knob of cold butter
For the spring onions
8 large spring onions, trimmed
1 tbsp olive oil
Method
Step
For the cider mustard, toast 2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds and 2 tbsp brown mustard seeds in a dry pan, then combine with 100ml dry cider, 1 tbsp cider vinegar, 1 tbsp honey and some seasoning. Let them soak for at least 4 hours or overnight. Blend slightly if you prefer a smoother texture, or leave whole.
Step
For the apple sauce, heat a cast-iron pan or place 3 apple halves cut-side down on the grill of a barbecue. Cook until the cut side is deeply blackened and the apples are soft, about 6-7 minutes. Scoop out the flesh, discard the skins and cores, and mash with 1 tsp sugar and a splash of cider vinegar. Adjust to taste.
Step
Rub 4 thick, bone-in rare breed pork chops with neutral oil and season well. Cook over a hot barbecue or griddle pan for 4-5 minutes each side, until nicely charred and just cooked through. Rest under foil while you finish the rest.