Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [61]
RACK/LOIN
Mustard and Pistachio–Crusted Pork Rib Roast
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
A full rib roast of pork, also called a rack, is composed of eight ribs (eleven if you include the tapering ribs, which extend into the loin). You should estimate one rib per person, and purchase the roast by the number of ribs, rather than by weight. Because of the configuration of the roast (a long row of ribs), heat from the grill penetrates the meat at the same rate, regardless of the size of the roast. So a four-rib roast will cook in about the same amount of time as an eight-rib specimen. The smallest rib roast is three ribs; smaller than that is a double pork chop.
INGREDIENTS:
One 14-rib pork rib roast (rack of pork, about 3½ pounds)
3 cups Lemon–Black Pepper Brine
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
⅔ cup finely ground pistachio nuts
⅓ cup dry breadcrumbs
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
DIRECTIONS:
If the chine bones, which come off the ends of the ribs at a near right angle, are still attached, make a cut between the bones and the meat. This will make the roast much easier to carve after grilling. Put the pork in a jumbo (2-gallon) zipper-lock bag. Add the brine to the bag, press out the air, and seal. Make sure the meaty parts of the roast are all submerged in brine; if not, massage the bag to distribute the brine more evenly. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
Light a grill for indirect medium heat, about 325°F.
Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.
Mix the mustard, garlic, lemon zest, and pepper in a small bowl. Set the pork roast, meaty side up, on a sheet tray or flat platter. Using a pastry brush, coat the pork roast with a thick layer of the mustard mixture.
Combine the ground pistachios, breadcrumbs, and parsley in another small bowl. Pack the crumb mixture all over the mustard-coated pork roast.
Brush and oil the grill grate. Put the pork roast, meaty-side up, on the grill away from the fire. Close the lid and cook until the eye of the roast registers 150°F on an instant-read thermometer (make sure the thermometer is not touching bone), 1¼ to 1½ hours.
Remove the roast to a carving board and let rest for at least 15 minutes. Carve into chops and serve.
RACK/LOIN
Smoked Pork Chops
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
You really need a smoking rig to permeate pork chops with smoke. The heat in a grill is so high that pork chops will overcook before they take on much smoky flavor. To overcome the smoking limitations of the grill, we get the smoke into the chops with a smoke-laden brine and a smoky grill rub before they ever hit the heat.
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups hardwood chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes
2 cups Smokin’ Brine
4 bone-in rib pork chops (about 3 pounds), at least 1 inch thick
1 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons Smokin’ Rub
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the brine and pork in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Press out the air and seal the bag. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or as long as 8 hours.
Light a grill for bilevel direct medium-high/low heat, 425/275 °F, with smoke.
Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry; coat with the oil and season on both sides with the rub. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Add the wood chips to the grill. When you begin to see smoke, put the pork on the grill directly over the high heat, cover the grill, and cook until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low on a gas grill. On a charcoal or wood grill, move the chops to the low-heat area. Cover the grill, and cook until the chops are 150°F, about 5 minutes more. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
BACK RIBS/LOIN
Baby Back Ribs with Brown Sugar Glaze
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Back ribs don’t come from baby pigs. They’re simply small. Taken from either side of the spine along the loin, they are the tapered ribs near the back end of the rib cage. A slab of baby backs has at least eight ribs, and as