** Pork shoulder chop | apple and parsnip puree | apple and celeriac slaw | apple crisp and crackling garnish | cider and mustard jus **

I made this super-autumnal recipe up. It showcases how the tougher cut of pork shoulder, normally stewed or slow roasted, is an equally tender but far more cost-effective alternative to a rib chop if treated to a long bath in hot water. It also allows you to do much of the prep work beforehand, so it’s a great dinner party recipe. As you can see, the meat comes out a little pink, which I find creates a unbeatably moist chop, but if you prefer you can cook the pork at 65°C for a more traditional white colour and drier texture.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 600g pork shoulder, skin on
• 10g vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 15g Dijon mustard
• 6 sprigs rosemary
• 200g parsnip
• 175g apple (about 2)
• 50g celeriac
• 20g red onion, thinly sliced
• 100ml cider vinegar
• 20g caster sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 10g mustard seeds
• 50g chicken stock
• 100ml cider
• 100g butter
• 15g mayonnaise (homemade > shop-bought)

Method

1. Remove skin from pork shoulder and divide meat into 2 equal chops
2. Score skin and rub in sea salt
3. Toast garlic in oil until fragrant
4. Vacuum seal chops in a single layer with oil, garlic, 10g mustard and 4 sprigs rosemary, and cook in a water bath set to 59°C
5. Julienne 50g apple and celeriac
6. Combine vinegar, sugar, salt and mustard seeds over low heat, stirring, until fully dissolved and fully submerge apple and celeriac in liquid for at least an hour
7. Submerge onion in cold water
8. Thinly slice 25g apple
9. In 230°C oven, roast skin until crispy but not blackened (about 15 mins)
10. In 150°C oven, bake apple slices until just brown and dried (about 15 mins)
11. Peel parsnip and 100g apple, then roughly cut into approximately 5cm chunks
12. Combine parsnip, apple chunks, stock, 50ml cider and 50g butter in saucepan, season well, bring to boil (covered), reduce to simmer until liquid is nearly gone (about 15 mins) then blend and reserve in a warm (50°C) oven
13. When finished pickling, mix pickled apple, pickled celeriac and red onion with mayonnaise to form slaw
14. Remove chops from vacuum bags, pat very dry and fry on both sides and on fat cap over extremely high heat (about 2 mins)
15. In same pan, fry rosemary, bag juices, 5g mustard and 50ml cider, reduce until liquid is roughly halved then mix in 25g butter until melted
16. Pass jus through sieve
17. Meanwhile, carve meat
18. Spoon puree onto warmed plates, make divot with spoon and lay down slaw, then pork chop
19. Spoon over jus, then garnish with crackling and apple chips to serve