HOT PLATE 🔥 Hausu - BBQ pork collar #bbq #chef #london #londonrestaurants #restaurant #pork#cheflife

At Hausu in Peckham, chef Holly Middleton-Joseph demonstrates how to balance rich, fatty pork collar with the sharp, fiery notes of Sichuan sauce and the sweet acidity of seasonal stone fruit. This dish highlights a smart approach to modern pub and restaurant cooking, showing how charcoal grilling can transform humble cuts.

Mastering the Pork Collar on the Grill

Pork collar—often referred to as coppa—is prized by chefs for its heavy marbling and deep flavour. Unlike leaner cuts, it handles high heat exceptionally well, but grilling it over open fire demands careful grease management. The goal is to renderRenderTo slowly heat fatty tissue so that its fat melts away. the intermuscular fat slowly while building a deeply caramelised crust. Chefs must manage the charcoal bed to avoid flare-ups, which can coat the meat in bitter soot rather than clean smoke. Slicing the collar to a uniform thickness is critical for even cooking, ensuring the exterior crisps while the centre remains succulent and tender.

Balancing Heat and Acid with Grilled Stone Fruit

The pairing of Sichuan sauce and grilled nectarines is a masterclass in flavour contrast. The numbing, spicy heat of the Sichuan peppercorns cuts directly through the richness of the pork collar. To balance this intensity, nectarines are grilled over the same coals. Grilling the fruit caramelises its natural sugars and softens its texture, turning it into a juicy, acidic element that cuts through the fat. This combination of charred smoky pork, tongue-tingling spice, and warm, sweet fruit shows how simple fire cooking can achieve complex flavour profiles without overly intricate plate-ups.

Service Prep and Execution

For a busy service, this plate is highly efficient. The Sichuan sauce can be prepped well in advance, and the pork collar can be portioned and held ready for the grillGrillTo cook using direct radiant heat.. The nectarines require only a quick flash on the grill alongside the meat, making this an ideal dish for high-volume, fire-focused kitchens looking to offer something punchy and fast-cooking. The key is in the timing: ensuring the pork rests briefly so the juices redistribute before slicing, while serving the grilled fruit warm to contrast with the rich sauce.