I persuaded the chef of a restaurant in Lisbon to divulge this recipe. He spoke Portuguese and I spoke English but we both understood each other – amazing really! The dish needs to be prepared about 24 hours before cooking.
preparation time 25 minutes, plus 6 hours’ chilling and 12 hours’ marinating
cooking time about 21⁄2 hours
serves 4
Ingredients
4 red peppers, deseeded and halved
1 tablespoon coarse salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
75 ml (3 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
4 pork chops
150 ml (5 fl oz) dry white wine
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Arrange a layer of the peppers in a small earthenware dish. Cover with a little of the salt and repeat this process so that you finish with 5 layers of peppers. Chill for 6 hours.
2 Preheat the oven to 120°C, 250°F, gas mark 1⁄2.
3 Bake the peppers in the oven for 2 hours, until soft, then remove and leave to cool.
4 Skin the peppers and then put I them in a food processor with the garlic and blend to a smooth paste. Slowly add the extra virgin olive oil, blending constantly, and season with a little black pepper. The paste can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge if made in advance.
5 Coat both sides of the pork chops with the pepper paste and place them in a shallow dish. Pour over the wine, cover and chill for 12 hours.
6 Heat the oil in a griddle or a heavy-based frying pan. Cook the chops for 4–5 minutes per side, until lightly browned, then remove from the pan and keep warm.
7 Pour the marinade into the pan and boil until it has reduced in volume by a third. Return the pork chops to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary, then serve.
The sweet pepper paste works just as well with other meats besides pork. The chops are lovely served with deep-fried aubergines and a tomato and basil salad.