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by Diana Henry from ‘Simple - Effortless Food, Big Flavours’ (Mitchell Beazley)

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This sounds strange, but it works.Ìý The coffee gives the chops a good deep flavour, almost tobacco-ey.Ìý Them Southern cooks know a thing or two about pork.

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Serves 4

Prep time 15 mins + overnight marinating

Cooking time 40 mins

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Ingredients

6 tbsp soft dark brown or molasses sugar

30g (1oz) sea-salt flakes

1 litre (1¾ pints) freshly brewed hot coffee

4 big pork chops, about 250-275g (9-9¾oz) each

4 sweet potatoes

Black pepper

1½ tbsp rendered pork fat, lard or flavourless oil

25g (scant 10oz) unsalted butter

leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme

1 red and 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely sliced

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Method

Stir the sugar and salt flakes into the coffee until dissolved. Add 200ml (7fl oz) of cold water and leave to cool completely. Put this brine in a large container and add the chops, making sure they’re submerged. Cover and put in the fridge for 6/8 hours.

Remove the chops from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper. Return theÌýchops to the fridge – uncovered, so that they dry out a little – and leave for aÌýcouple more hours.

When you’re ready to eat, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.Ìý Bake thenÌýsweet potatoes for about 30mins, timing them to be ready at the same time as the chops.

Season the chops (you won’t need much salt but pepper is important), heat theÌýfat or oil in a frying-pan and cook over a high heat on both sides and on the fat toÌýget a good colour. Reduce the heat to medium and continue, turning every soÌýoften, until cooked (8-10 mins).

Melt the butter in a small frying pan and add the thyme and chillies.Ìý Cook forÌýabout a minute then split the sweet potatoes and drizzle the insides with theÌýbutter.Ìý Serve with the chops.

Nigel’s Top Tip

Alternatively, you can make a sweet potato hash, sautéing cubes of sweet potato with thyme, onion and Tabasco.

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