ROAST
Bone-in pork chops are bulkier than a dainty little lamb chop so fare far better in the oven than in a frying pan or grill. Don't expect crackling though; our chops don't have rind on but they do have a nice layer of fat. The fat would not crackle in the time it takes to roast a chop anyway. Roast in a hot oven 200C/Gas6 for about 30 mins. They will also roast well as a one-pot dish; place in a large shallow tray with chunks of potato onion apple and a few sprigs of sage. It may take slightly longer with all the added bits. Bone-in chops will grill or pan fry nicely; if you turn the heat down at the end add a little liquid like cider, for instance, and cook slowly for a further 15 minutes they make a good faux braised dish too.

GRILL When we say grill nowadays we usually mean either a grill pan that goes onto the hob or a barbecue. Using a grill pan is pretty much the same as pan-frying except that the pan touches the meat in ridges and the fat runs into the grooves.

PAN FRY Often confused with saute pan-frying is also not to be confused with shallow frying. Pan-frying involves larger pieces of meat say a steak or chicken breast a very small amount of oil and not too much movement. Essentially it has replaced the overhead grill and is a far moister way of cooking meat. You need a hot pan but not searingly hot as pork needs longer than steak. Add a good drop of oil to the hot pan add the meat and then season with salt. Give the chops or steaks about 5 to 7 minutes each side until the juices run clear.