Release all the cloves from the garlic bulb(s) but do not peel them, as the skin will protect the flesh from burning. Instead, crush them lightly with the blade of a knife.

Place an ovenproof dish, big enough to hold the chops, in the oven as you heat it to 220°C/Gas Mark 7. Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan and add all the garlic cloves. Fry for a few minutes, then add the chops. Brown the chops on one side for just a minute, then on the other, seasoning them with salt and pepper as they brown. Remove from the pan with tongs and arrange in the preheated dish, with the fatty, bony end bits poking up into the air. The idea is that these bits will get crisp as the meaty ends braise in the pan juices. Remove the garlic cloves from the pan with a slotted spoon and scatter them over the chops.

Now return the pan to the heat and deglaze with the wine or cider, allowing it to bubble and reduce by half. Tip the contents of the pan over the chops, season well and return the dish to the oven.

Roast the chops for 15 -20 minutes, basting them with the pan juices half way through cooking, if you like. When they are done, the meat of the chops should be cooked through and the thinner, fattier ends lovely and crisp. The garlic cloves, though perhaps a little blackened on the outside, should be sweet and tender in the middle, and the pan juices make an excellent gravy.

Serve each chop with a few whole garlic cloves, a couple of spoonfuls of the pan juices, some mashed potatoes (page 518) and steamed leafy greens.