- 80g/2¾oz sea salt
- 40g/1½oz caster sugar
- sprig thyme
- 4 x 200g/7oz Iberico pluma
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ bunch parsley, finely chopped
- ¼ bunch oregano, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 green chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
- ¼ tsp cumin seeds, crushed
- ¼ tsp sweet paprika
- ½ shallot, finely chopped
- 50ml/2fl oz red wine vinegar
- 100ml/3½fl oz extra virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
- olive oil
- 150g/5½oz piquillo peppers
- 25ml/1fl oz sherry vinegar
- 50ml/2fl oz chicken stock
- 50g/1¾oz cooked chickpeas
- ¼ tsp cumin seeds, crushed
- ¼ tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- To make the brine, put 1 litre/1¾ pint water and all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat until the salt and sugar dissolve. Leave to cool then place the pork in the brine, cover and leave in the fridge for 2 and a half hours. Remove from the brine, rinse well in fresh cold water and pat dry.
- To make the herb vinaigrette, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
- To make the pepper purée, gently cook the shallots and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the peppers followed by the vinegar and chicken stock. Cook for 5 minutes then blitz in a blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- For the chickpeas, heat the oil in a deep fat fryer or a deep-sided, heavy bottomed pan to 180C, or until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns golden-brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not over-fill the pan or leave unattended). Deep-fry the chickpeas for 2 minutes. Mix the spices and salt together, drain the chickpeas and season with the spiced salt.
- Lightly oil the pork on both sides and place on a hot griddle. Cook for 2 minutes then flip over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
- To serve, slice the pork and place on a large plate, spoon the vinaigrette over the top then add a spoon of purée to the side. To finish, scatter the chickpeas over the pork.