Marinated Pork with Jerk Seasoning and Grilled Pineapple Salsa

In the Caribbean, jerk seasoning comes either wet or dry. The latter is made with dried herbs, which I don't usually have available, so this is the wet version – great for a barbecue or just plain-grilled.

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This recipe is taken from How to Cook Book Two.

Method

Start this way ahead of time: trim the fat off the chops and season them with salt and pepper, then place all the other ingredients, except the wine, in a food processor and mix to a thick paste. Next spread half the paste over the base of a shallow dish, place the pork chops on top, then spread the rest of the paste over the surface of each chop. Now cover the dish with clingfilm and leave for a few hours so the flavours can develop.

Meanwhile, make the salsa. To do this you need to first pre-heat the grill to its highest setting, then mix the oil and honey with a good seasoning of salt and black pepper. Then, using a sharp knife, cut the top and bottom off the pineapple and, standing it upright on a chopping board, remove the skin using a large serrated knife, then dig out the 'eyes' using the tip of a potato peeler. Now cut the pineapple in half lengthways, then lay each half, cut-side down, on the surface and slice each into 6 long wedges. After that, trim off the inner core. Next brush each wedge with the honey mixture and place them on the baking tray, then pop them under the grill about 1½ inches (4 cm) from the heat and grill for 10-15 minutes, until they become nicely charred; you'll need to turn them halfway through the cooking time. 

After that, remove them from the grill and allow them to cool slightly before chopping roughly into ½ inch (1 cm) pieces and mixing them with the remaining salsa ingredients. Then set aside till needed.

When you're ready to cook the chops, pre-heat the grill to its highest setting for at least 10 minutes. Place the chops on the same baking tray, making sure their surface is completely covered with the marinade (reserve the marinade left in the dish), then grill them 3 inches (7.5 cm) from the heat for about 15 minutes. 

After that, turn them over, spread the surface with the rest of the marinade and grill for another 15 minutes, until the chops are cooked and the surface is nice and crisp. Remove the pork to a serving dish, then scrape any crusty bits and remaining marinade from the baking tray into a small saucepan. 

Add the dry white wine, let it bubble and reduce by about a third, and pour it over the pork before seasoning. 

Serve with the salsa.