6 pork chops (about 300g each)
3 tbsp sunflower oil
salt and black pepper

For  the marinade
10 tbsp dark soft brown sugar
juice of three limes
2 red chillies, deseeded and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground ginger
4 tbsp rum
splash of angostura bitters (optional)

To serve
Lime wedges, for squeezing
Fresh coriander leaves (optional)

The method
Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a non-reactive bowl. Place the chops in the marinade, turn so all side are coated, cover with cling film and leave to marinade in the refrigerator for several hours, or up to 24 hours. Turn the shops every so often.

Heat 2 frying pans until they are really hot and take the chops out of the marinade, scraping any that is clinging to them back into the bowl. Brush the chops all over with the oil, then season. Cook them in the frying pans over a high heat for about 3 minutes, or until they get a good colour, then turn over and repeat on the other side. 

Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook the chops until cooked through – this takes at least 10 minutes. There should be no pink juices left when you pierce the meat. Towards the end of the cooking time, add the marinade and let it glaze the pork shops and bubble away in the pan. Squeeze on some lime and scatter with fresh coriander, if you like, before serving.

 

Sunshine kit cooking sauce

Makes about 450ml (16fl oz)
400g can tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
2 spring onions, green parts only, roughly chopped
1 hot red chilli (ideally Scotch Bonnet), seeds left in or removed depending on how hot you like it, roughly chopped
leaves from 2 thyme sprigs
50g (1¾oz) fresh coriander leaves and stalks
1 tsp black pepper
good grating of nutmeg
(about ½–1 tsp)
1 tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp ground allspice
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
5 tbsp dark muscovado sugar
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1½ tsp salt, or to taste

The method

Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Whizz to
get everything mixed together nice and smooth. Taste and adjust the flavours as you like, adding a bit more cider vinegar, sugar or salt if you want to adjust the acidity, sweetness or saltiness, and adjust the spices if necessary to get a flavour to your liking.

Pour the sauce into a saucepan, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste once more, if necessary.

Pour the sauce into a small bowl, allow to cool, cover with clingfilm and keep in the refrigerator until needed. It’s best eaten within a week – that shouldn’t be a problem, it’s so delicious!

Extracted from Levi Roots Food for Friends, published by Mitchell Beazley, priced £18.99. Photography copyright Chris Terry.