Grilled Pork Chop with Roasted Yams and Marjoram

Serves 4

Ingredients:
 
2 pounds/1 kg long narrow yams (red-skinned sweet potatoes), peeled, cut crosswise into 3/4- to 1-inch-/2- to 2.5-cm-thick discs
3 tablespoons/45 ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Four 8-ounce/250-g center cut pork loin chops (each about 3/4 inch/2 cm thick)
1 bunch watercress, thick stalks removed
3/4 cup/150 ml dry white wine
2 tablespoons/5 g fresh marjoram leaves

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Place the sliced yams on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon/15 ml of olive oil.  Rub the oil all over the yam slices to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
 
Bake for 25 minutes, or until the yams are golden brown on the bottom. Turn the yam slices over and bake 10 minutes longer, or until they are tender and golden brown on the bottom. Preheat a large grill pan over high heat. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Drizzle 1 tablespoon/15 ml of olive oil over the pork chops and rub the oil over the pork chops.

Grill the pork chops for 3 minutes. Rotate the pork chops 90° and cook 2 minutes longer.  Turn the pork chops over. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the pork chops are cooked to desired doneness, about 5 minutes for medium well.

Place the watercress on 4 plates. Arrange the yam slices alongside the watercress. Place 1 pork chop on each plate. Add the wine to the grill pan and stir to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the marjoram. Simmer for 3 minutes, or until the wine is reduced by half. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon/15 ml of oil. Pour the pan juice over the pork and serve.