Asian Pork Chops with Seared Lettuce

We have begun getting a box of organic fruits and vegetables delivered here each week. The good thing is that it comes from local producers and the contents of each week's box consists of only items that are in season. We're trying to work with produce that is fresh and at its peak, seasonally.

Last night it was these two heads of lettuce with some great pork chops from our butcher (who, incidentally, has won a ton of national awards). The recipe appears in Marcus Wareing's cookbook "One Perfect Ingredient". The dish was simple to compose, and the flavors were just a nice harmony. I deviated from his recipe by taking the cooking juice left in the baking dish and the juices left behind by the pork after resting, straining them, and reducing them down over high heat (as the pork was resting) into a jus.

40 g ginger, fresh, peeled and finely grated
2 stalks lemongrass, finely chopped
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil, toasted, if available
4 pork chops
olive oil
2 sprigs thyme, fresh
2 lettuce, heads, Romaine or Cos, halved lengthways
2 bay leaf
2 sprigs rosemary
300 milliliters chicken stock, hot

Mix all the marinade ingredients (ginger through sesame oil) and spread evenly over both sides of the chops. Place in a dish, cover, and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.

Heat the oven to 180C.

Warm a little olive oil in a large frying pan over medium to high heat. Add the chops with a few thyme sprigs and sear until they are well-colored on both sides. Remove and set aside.

Heat a dry griddle pan over medium to high heat until hot. Brush the cut sides of the lettuces with oil, then place, cut-side down, in the pan and sear until golden brown. Transfer the lettuce, seared-side up, to a large baking dish. Sprinkle with the bay leaves and rosemary. Place the chops on top. Spread them with any marinade left in the dish and pour over the stock.

Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and baste the chops with the juices in the dish, then continue cooking uncovered for about 10 minutes. At the end of the cooking, the chops should be tender with pierced with a fork in their thickest part. Leave to rest in a warm place for 5 minutes before serving.