Monday, August 27, 2012

Dr Q, I presume…..?



NOOOoooooooo...I dropped a stitch

Once a year there comes a time that strikes fear into the hearts of those of us who are married or partnered to knitting people. People who knit we can deal with, but people who treat knitting as a 35 year old single man living with his parents treats Star Trek are truly terrifying. And spinners. Don’t forget the spinners…..and crocheters (if that’s a word). Once a year, these people amass in the fair County Cork to touch, fondle and otherwise molest innocent wools and yarns in the name of FIBRE FEIS, the annual gathering of the immortal fibre enthusiasts who fight to the death until the last one stands - THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE………..Well, OK that’s Highlander the movie but c’mon, wouldn’t that be great??

So Fibre Feis is an annual gathering of friends and family who get together once a year to meet up, camp over and discuss all things…well… fibrous. No, not the dietary kind – that’s a way different party. Long story short, Fibre Feis is a great bit of fun and food (and not an inconsiderable amount of drink) and this year was no exception. It is a BYO affair with contributors bringing everything from tomato and mozzarella salads to couscous, brownies to artisan chocolate cake and homemade beers (thanks Phil).

This year I decided to bring Dr. Pepper Pork Chops and Sinéad made two fabulous Madeira cakes (from a closely guarded secret family recipe). Thankfully, people were polite and said they enjoyed them although this did appear evident by the fact the first plate of finished chops were gone in seconds…..

To Sue and Phil and to all those who organised, contributed and turned up – many thanks for a great day and we’ll see you again next year. For those who asked, here’s the recipe – I used this volume for 12 chops.



The Brine
¾ of a 500 ml bottle of Dr. Pepper Soda (full fat, not diet)
2 Tbls Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbls Apple Cider Vinegar
4 Tsp Dijon Mustard
4 Tsp Coarse Salt
2 Tsp Black Peppercorns
2 Tsp Dried Sage
2 Tsp Dried Marjoram
Mix all the ingredients together into a zip top plastic bag and place in a container. Place the pork chops into the bag and squeeze as much air out as possible before sealing the bag. Place the container in the fridge for 4 but not longer than 8 hours.
Take the pork chops out of the brine and pat dry with kitchen paper towels ahead of applying the rub.

The Rub
1 Tsp of your favourite chilli powder
1 Tsp garlic granules
1 Tsp coarse salt
1 Tsp smoked paprika (or normal paprika)
½ Tsp ground coriander
½ Tsp ground cumin
Few grinds of black pepper
Mix together well and apply liberally to both sides of the chops (I use a small flour shaker).

To Cook
Fry, grill or BBQ as you would for a normal chop - 7 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the chop and method of cooking, turning once half way through.


Only picture I could get of the finished produce (sorry)

To Serve
Hang a sign advising “the Doctor is in”, prescribe one pork chop in a crispy buttered baguette and see them again next Tuesday if it doesn’t cure all that ails them. Charging €60 is entirely optional……

1 comment:

  1. Thanks! These are the only chops I've ever had that I like as much as (or possibly more but I'm not ready to admit it) than mine.

    Sinead's cake was best Madeira ever!

    We love having you all of you down for Fibre Feis. Great for the OH's to get some support regarding their fibre addict.

    Did I mention I bought a loom? :)

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