Pork rump steaks with chorizo and olives

Pork steaks were never a thing until quite recently, certainly not readily available and pre-cut and labelled in the butchery sections of our supermarkets. But there they are, so what to do with them? I like this kind of a bake, redolent of the sunny shores of the Mediterranean.

Spain or Portugal come to mind, though in the latter country pork is often cooked with orange. Orange and black olives – that’s a wonderful pairing and I must come back to that thought before long. That’s one for the citrus season come winter.

For now, I baked pork rump steaks (that’s how they were labelled) with tomato, garlic, onion, oregano and chilli, all together but not for very long.

I cooked this in my large air fryer oven, but you can bake it in a normal large oven too.

It’s best to marinade the pork for a few hours, then bring it to room temperature before it goes into the oven.

Tony’s pork rump steaks with chorizo and olives

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

2 pork rump steaks

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped

12 black olives

1 x 400g can of chopped tomatoes

Salt and black pepper to taste

Fresh oregano for garnish

Method

In a medium bowl or bakkie, mix the olive oil with the chopped onion, oregano, chopped garlic, and chilli.

Place the rump steaks in this and douse completely with the marinade.

Refrigerate for 4 hours or more.

Remove from the fridge an hour before cooking.

Remove the pork steaks from the marinade.

Preheat an oven to 200°C.

Scrape the marinade off the pork steaks into a bowl, and add the chopped tomatoes and the olives. Season with salt and black pepper.

Spoon this mixture into a deep oven dish and place the chops on top. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper.

Bake at 200°C for 20 to 25 minutes. Check for doneness after 20 minutes by inserting a skewer. They should be soft, not resistant. If they’re not quite done, give them a few more minutes. Garnish with fresh oregano. DM

Tony Jackman is twice winner of the Galliova Food Writer of the Year award.

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.