Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy ovenproof frying pan, cast iron if you have one
• •Grill or overhead broiler

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the glaze

   Mix the mustard, honey, and cider vinegar together in a small bowl. That's it. The mustard brings the heat, the honey rounds it, and the vinegar stops the whole thing from becoming too sweet. Taste it. If it bites, good. It'll mellow in the pan.

2. 2

   Start the chops

   Get a heavy frying pan properly hot over a medium-high heat, then add the butter. When it foams and starts to calm down, lay the chops in. Don't move them. You want three to four minutes on the first side, enough for the fat to render and the underside to go a deep, golden brown. The kitchen will smell of bacon, which is no bad thing on a Tuesday.

   Snip through the rind and fat at intervals before cooking. Bacon chops curl at the edges as the rind tightens in the heat. A few small cuts keep them flat and give you even colour across the whole surface.
3. 3

   Turn and glaze

   Flip the chops. They should lift cleanly. If they resist, give them another minute. Spoon the mustard glaze over the top of each chop, spreading it to the edges. Scatter the thyme leaves over if you have them. Let the second side cook for another two to three minutes while the glaze sets on top and the heat from the pan works its way through.

4. 4

   Finish under the grill

   Heat your grill to high. Transfer the pan under the grill, or move the chops to a baking tray if your pan handle won't take the heat. Grill for two to three minutes, watching closely. The glaze will bubble, catch in places, and turn sticky and dark at the edges. This is what you want. Pull them when they look like something you'd photograph for the notebook. Rest for a minute on warm plates, spooning any pan juices over the top.

   The line between caramelised and burnt is a short one under a hot grill. Stay close. Trust your nose. If it smells sweet and savoury, you're fine. If it smells sharp, you've gone too far.

Chef Tips

• •Ask the butcher for thick-cut bacon chops, at least two centimetres. Thin ones dry out before the glaze has time to do anything interesting. You want something with substance, something that stays juicy in the middle while the outside goes sticky and golden.
• •English mustard is the one here. Not Dijon, not wholegrain. Colman's, the bright yellow sort, with that clean, sinus-clearing heat that softens beautifully when it meets the honey and the grill. It's one of those ingredients that tastes aggressive from the jar but plays well with others.
• •Serve this with something green and something sharp. Buttered cabbage, lightly done. A pile of watercress dressed with nothing but lemon. Mashed potato if you want comfort. The chop is rich and salty and sweet; it wants contrast on the plate.
• •Don't add salt. The bacon chop is already cured and carries all the salt it needs. Pepper, yes. Salt, no. Season and taste. Then taste again.

Advance Preparation

• •The glaze can be mixed hours ahead and left covered on the side. It improves slightly as the mustard and honey get acquainted.
• •This is not a make-ahead dish. Bacon chops are best the moment they come out from under the grill, while the glaze is still bubbling. Leftovers are fine cold the next day in a sandwich with sharp pickle and good bread.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 180g)