The natural sweetness of autumn grapes makes them the perfect pairing for these smoky, herb-kissed pork chops. If you have the chance, cooking over fire adds a beautiful depth of flavour and connects you to the elements, golden hour light, the crackle of wood and that primal DNA that thrives outdoors. It’s a moment to reset, breathe and sync with nature’s rhythms.

That said, if fire cooking isn’t an option, your kitchen will do just fine, everything will still be utterly delicious. The key is to prepare the chilled herb oil in advance, ideally the night before, so the flavours have time to develop. If your fire isn’t within easy reach of your oven, you can roast the grapes ahead or hang them over the fire to cook low and slow, letting them turn smoky and deeply concentrated in flavour.

Simple, satisfying and bursting with flavour, these chops are a joy to cook and even better to eat.

Recipe & styling Amber Rose, Photo Greta Kenyon

Chilled Herb Oil

• Small bunch of fresh thyme
• A few sprigs of marjoram or rosemary
• A few sprigs of parsley
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 200 ml good-quality olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• Sea salt and ground black pepper

Roasted Grapes

• 350 g red or green grapes (or a mix, still on the vine)
• 3 tbsp coconut sugar
• A small handful of fresh herbs such as sage, thyme or oregano
• Olive oil, for drizzling

Pork Chops

• 4 pork chops
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon wedges (optional)

 

De-stalk and finely chop all the herbs. Place them in a small bowl and mix to combine. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the chopped herbs in a sealed container in the fridge (for the pork chops). Transfer the remaining herbs to a jar and pour in the olive oil. Add the crushed garlic and season with a little salt and pepper. Shake well and refrigerate overnight (or place in the freezer if making only a few hours ahead).

Preheat your oven to 200°C. Lay the grapes in a roasting dish, sprinkle with coconut sugar, herbs and drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until the skins start to split and caramelise slightly. A little charring is good! Remove from the oven and set aside. The grapes can be served warm or at room temperature.

Get your fire going or heat a grill/hotplate over a high heat. Lay the pork chops on a plate, drizzle both sides with olive oil and scatter over the reserved herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Place the chops on the grill or hotplate and cook for about 6 minutes on the first side, then 2-3 minutes on the other side. Remove from the heat and let the chops rest for 10 minutes, loosely covered with foil.

Drizzle each chop with a teaspoon of the chilled herb oil. Serve with a side of roasted grapes and lemon wedges for squeezing over.