Rarebit Pork Chops at the Trailhead
Seared chops under a broiled crust of sharp cheddar and mustard. Car camping food, cooler required.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 9 oz
- cal / oz
- 80
- protein
- 52 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 16 min
- total time
- 26 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Grill grate
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Gluten free
- Real dishes
- Grab and go
- Needs a cooler
- Actual cooking
Ingredients
| Thick cut pork chops | 2, about 1 inch | |
|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | |
| Mature cheddar | 4 oz | grated at home, the sharper the better |
| Egg yolk | 1 | |
| English mustard | 1 tsp | powder works if you keep it dry |
| Worcestershire sauce | 1 tsp | check the label if you need gluten-free |
| Double cream | 1 tbsp | or a heavy splash of anything thick |
| Coarse sea salt and black pepper | a pinch of each |
Method
- Build a bed of coals and set the grate close, or run a cast iron skillet over the fire.
- Salt and pepper the chops and rub them with the oil. Sear 5 to 6 minutes a side until the outside is dark and the middle is just done. Pull them onto a plate.
- Mix the cheddar, yolk, mustard, Worcestershire, and cream into a stiff paste in a mug.
- Spoon the paste over the top of each chop and spread it to the edges.
- Set the chops back on the grate over lower heat, cover with a pot lid or foil, and give it 3 to 4 minutes. The crust should be melted and blistered in spots.
- Rest five minutes before cutting. The topping firms up as it cools.
Welsh rarebit is a cheese sauce stiff enough to sit on top of something instead of running off it. That is the whole trick here. The yolk and the cream bind the cheddar so it browns rather than pooling into the coals, and the mustard and Worcestershire cut fat that would otherwise flatten out after a long day.
This is cooler food, not pack food. Pork chops and fresh cheese do not go up a mountain. What makes it work at a campsite is that the topping is mixed cold in a mug and the whole cook is two stages over the same coals: hard heat to sear, low heat with a lid to melt. Keep the crust away from direct flame or the cheese scorches before it blisters.
Packing
Grate the cheese and mix the topping at home, minus the yolk, and carry it in a small screw-top jar. Chops and jar both live in the cooler. Bring the egg in a hard case or skip it.
Variations
- No fire cover? Melt the topping in a skillet lid-on over the coals instead of grilling it.
- Swap the cream for cream cheese if you want it to hold its shape better.
- Thick chicken thighs take the same topping and the same timing.
https://www.baldhiker.com/rarebit-pork-chops-recipe