Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry
- 4 dried dessert figs
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and grated
- 2 tablespoons slivered almonds, lightly toasted
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped sage leaves
- 6 large pork loin chops (250 g/9 oz each) on the bone
- 16 large bulb spring onions (scallions), green parts removed, halved
Method
1. Bring the sherry and 1 tablespoon of water to the boil in a small saucepan. Soak the figs in the hot sherry mixture for about 20 minutes, then slice them finely and keep the soaking liquid to use later.
2. Heat the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion and garlic, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until they are softened. Add the grated apple, figs and sherry liquid, and simmer for a further 5 minutes, or until the apple has softened and most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the almonds and sage, then season well and allow the mixture to cool.
3. Trim the pork chops of any excess fat and make an incision into the middle of the chop from the side. Be careful, you only want to make a pocket in the flesh and not cut right through.
4. Fill the pocket with the apple and fig stuffing, pushing it well into the cavity so that none is spilling out, you should fit about 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling in each chop. Brush the chops all over with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss the spring onion with the remaining oil, and season it well.
5. Heat a barbecue chargrill plate to medium direct heat. Cook the chops for 8 minutes on each side, or until the outside is slightly charred and the meat is cooked through. While the chops are cooking, add the spring onions to the chargrill plate and cook them for 10 minutes, or until they are softened. Serve the chops and spring onions as soon as they come off the barbecue.
