Pork Chops with Roasted Grapes

July 14, 2005

With winter's foot planted very firmly on the doorstep in these parts, it's good to indulge in a bit of comfort food occasionally and a roast dinner seems to fit rather neatly in that class. Today's dish is one I regard as a lazy roast. It requires very little input from the cook and, best of all, there is no carving to be done.

If you want a quick roast, then go for pork loin chops. By the time the vegetables are roasted, the meat will be ready, too. While apples are the traditional accompaniment for roast pork, there are some splendid red seedless grapes around at the moment that take very kindly to being roasted. All you need to do is give them a rinse and then place small bunches of them on top of the meat for the final 15 minutes of cooking. They have a pleasant gooseberry-like flavour and are a nice contrast to the meat.

Pork Chops with Roasted Grapes

4 pork loin chops
light olive oil
salt and freshly milled pepper
8 small bunches of seedless red grapes
parsnip chunks
agria potatoes

Pre-heat the oven to 190C. Peel the parsnips and cut into chunks. Wash the potatoes and leave them unpeeled. Cut them into quarters.

Toss the vegetables in a bowl with a little oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Sprinkle a little oil on each side of the chops. Season.

Place the chops and vegetables in a roasting pan and bake for 45 minutes, turning once or twice. Add the little bunches of grapes and cook a further 15 minutes or until the meat is tender and the vegetables are done. Place the meat and roasted vegetables on a serving platter, smashing down the potatoes a little so they start to break. Garnish with the roasted grapes. Using the pan drippings, make gravy in the usual way, adding a couple of tablespoons of verjuice to complement the grapes. Serve with a green vegetable.