Glazed Bacon Chops with Champ Stuffed Potatoes

 

What you are seeing here today is a very rare treat. Bacon chops.  We very seldom eat processed meats such as bacon, even though we really love it (and who doesn't!) Every once in a while I will cook us some bacon for breakfast/supper.

We will either have it in the form of rashers or as these lovely bacon chops which we get from the butcher.  Most of our bacon chops come from Denmark, which is a shame as we produce really good bacon here in the UK.  I try to buy British Bacon when I can, as well as nitrate free if possible.

You might live in a country where you cannot get Bacon chops. If that is the case you can easily substitute smoked pork chops or plain pork loin chops in their place.  I would use boneless for this recipe. 

If you can get bacon chops, or even thick sliced peameal bacon I would definitely use it. Prepare yourself to fall in love.

 

The cooking method for these is exceptionally simple. There is nothing complicated and then turn out tender and juicy every time. 

My chops came with a healthy layer of fat along one edge. You might be tempted to cut that off, and you can certainly trim it down some if you wish, but you will need at least 1/4 of an inch along the side.

I slash it at 1/2 inch intervals. This helps to prevent any pork type of chop from curling up. They will lay flatter in your skillet, and brown more evenly. 

That fatty edge is also going to provide you with a bit of fat for browning your chops. You need nothing else. I hold the fatty edge down in the hot skillet using some tongs until some of the fat has released.  This is all you need to brown the chops in.

 

Once they are browned on both sides, I like to glaze them. I use a mixture of Dijon mustard and fruit preserves to do this.

Today I used Peach preserves. But you could use any fruit preserves that you feel would go well with the flavours of bacon and of mustard.  Think about it. Salty and sweet are the quintessential moreish flavour combination that has us all drooling.

 

Chocolate dipped potato chips or pretzels. Chocolate covered peanut.  Peanut Butter and jam are just two of the many delicious salty and sweet combinations we really love.

The glaze is a very simple do. Just whisk the two together and spoon over the browned and cooked chops.  Then continue to cook, flipping the chops over and over until they are glazed and the preserves and mustard have mingled with the pan juices to make a sauce to spoon over the finished chops.

Today I accompanied my chops with Champ Stuffed Baked Potatoes. Bacon is a very Irish thing.  Champ is also a very Irish thing.  It is Irish comfort food. 

I am afraid I have  it a tiny switched it up a bit here today by adding some cheese. I hope they will forgive me. I did use an Irish cheddar if that helps.

 

You will need to begin the potatoes about an hour or so before you cook your chops.  Pick some nice sized baking potatoes and wash them really well.  Dry and prick them all over with a fork. This helps to prevent them from bursting in the oven.

Place them into your hot oven, right on the oven rack.  This is the trick to really crisp skins. You don't need to rub them with oil or anything, just place them right on the rack.  The hot air of the oven will circulate around them, crisping the skins up perfectly.

 

You can also cut the time of baking considerably if you are in a hurry. You can do this by inserting a long, (clean please!!) galvanized nail into the side of each one lengthways. The nail heats up in the oven and the potatoes cook from the inside out and the outside in. 

Once they are tender, you remove them and begin to make your filling for them. You will need to let them cool slightly, just until you can comfortably handle them.

 

 

Once you can handle them you will need to cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out all of the flesh.  A metal spoon or melon baller does the job admirably! You want to be very careful not to pierce or tear the skin and I like to leave about a 1/4 inch border of potato throughout. 

This gets scooped into the bowl and mashed together with a bit of butter and milk. The champ flavour comes from the liberal use of spring onion, or scallions as they are also known.  Traditionally in Ireland the onion would be warmed in the milk before adding it to the potato and mashing. 

 I am not doing that of course.  Another thing I hope the Irish forgive me for.  But the onions and the milk are there, with the butter, and then there is the cheese.

Altogether a brilliant combination of flavours.  Stuffed into a crisp potato skin and baked until a bit of a crust forms on top. Make sure you rough the tops up a bit.  That will give you lots of scrummy little crispy bits.

 

I don't know about you, but I love little crispy bits.  Especially if they are a bit cheesy and buttery.  You can't beat those.

So altogether this is a real comforting, appealing and quite delicious meal.  All you need is a vegetable on the side.  Today I did peas and carrots (an old standby) and some mashed sweet potato because I had it and it needed using up. Enjoy!

Glazed Bacon Chops with Champ Stuffed Potatoes

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Yield: 2

Author: Marie Rayner

prep time: 5 Mincook time: 1 H & 15 Minactive time: 5 Mintotal time: 1 H & 25 M

A delicious meal for two that can easily be doubled or tripled to feed more. Glazed tender bacon chops are served with baked potatoes stuffed with spring onions and cheese. Fabulously tasty!

Ingredients

For the potatoes:

• 2 large baking potatoes
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 TBS milk
• 3 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup (60g) grated strong/sharp cheddar cheese
• salt and black pepper to taste
• paprika to sprinkle
• minced chives to garnish (optional)

For the chops:

• 2 boneless bacon chops (can use smoked pork chops)
• 1 TBS Dijon mustard
• 2 TBS peach preserves

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Wash the potatoes well, dry and then prick all over with a fork and place into the oven to bake, right on top of the oven rack.
2. Bake for one hour or until the tip of a knife slides easily in and out of the potatoes. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes until you can safely handle them.
3. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh into a bowl.  Try not to tear the skins. Set them aside until a bit later.
4. Mash the potato flesh well with a fork, adding the butter and milk. Add the spring onions, grated cheese and mix in well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Spoon the mixture back into the potato shells. Place into a baking dish.  Sprinkle with paprika and return to the oven while you cook the chops.
5. Trim the fatty edge of the chops and slash the fat at 1/2 inch intervals.
6. Warm a skillet over medium heat.  Using a pair of tongs, hold the bacon chops, fatty edges down in the skillet to help render out some of the fat, pressing them down slightly. After 2 to 3 minutes, lay the chops flat in the skillet. Sear for two to three minutes per side.
7. Whisk together the mustard and the peach preserves.  Spoon over the chops.  Increase the heat and cook, turning the chops frequently until the glaze thickens and coats the chops.
8. Remove from the heat and allow to rest for about 5 minutes prior to serving.
9. Serve the chops hot, with some of the pan juices spooned over top and a baked potato on the side.

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I love meals like this. Quick and easy, and which don't require a lot of thought or hands on. The potatoes basically cook themselves. You can vary the glaze on your chops by using any preserves that you enjoy. Orange marmalade is very good. So are blueberry, cherry or apricot preserves.  

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