Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [62]
INGREDIENTS:
2 racks baby back pork ribs (about 4 pounds total)
2½ cups Molasses Beer Brine
1 cup Brown Sugar Glaze
DIRECTIONS:
Cut the racks in half. Combine in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag with the brine. Press out the air, seal the bag, and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours.
Light a grill for indirect medium heat, about 325°F.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Put the ribs on the grill away from the heat, cover the grill, and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the ribs registers about 155°F (make sure the thermometer is not touching bone), about 1 hour.
Brush the ribs with half of the glaze, turn, close the lid, and cook for 3 minutes.
Brush with the remaining glaze, turn, cover the grill, and cook for another 3 minutes.
Remove the ribs to a large serving platter, and cut into 1- or 2-rib sections.
CENTER-CUT LOIN/LOIN
Horseradish-Brined Pork Loin with Cranberry Glaze
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
The long cylindrical muscles that run down the back of a pig on either side of the spine are tough and sinewy at their ends, at the shoulder and hip, and tender and meaty in the center, along the rib and loin. In this recipe a center-cut bone-in pork loin, which comes from the end of the loin closest to the rib, is brined with lemon, horseradish, chiles, and vodka. The alcohol insures that a maximum amount of flavor enters deeply into the structure of the protein, so that every bite delivers some seasoning. It is complemented by a sweet and pungent cranberry crust on the surface of the roast.
INGREDIENTS:
Horseradish Brine:
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 small fresh chile pepper, finely chopped
2 tablespoons coarse salt
1½ cups water
½ cup vodka
Finely grated zest and juice from ½ lemon
6-bone center-cut pork loin (about 4 pounds)
1½ cups cranberries
1 cup sugar
Juice of ½ lemon or 1 lime
1 tablespoon canola oil
Coarse salt and ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
For the horseradish brine: combine all the ingredients in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag.
Add the pork, press out the air, seal, and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.
Light a grill for indirect medium heat, about 350°F.
Mix the cranberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until boiling and the cranberries begin to burst. Crush the cranberries with a fork or vegetable masher, and set aside to cool.
Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Coat with the oil and season with salt and pepper.
Brush and oil the grill grate. Put the pork roast on the grill so the bone side faces up. Close the lid and cook until the center of the roast registers 150°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 55 minutes, basting with the glaze every 10 minutes or so.
Remove the roast to a carving board and let rest for at least 15 minutes. Carve into ½-inch-thick slices, and serve.
LARDO/LOIN
Roasted Beet and Chicory Salad with Charred Lardo
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Lardo is pure white pig back fat that’s been packed in salt to purge any moisture that might dilute its luxury. Grilled lardo is gloriously good sprinkled with forest herbs, like rosemary and thyme. But it’s a real bitch to grill. Its very substance is fuel for fire, so it readily bursts into flames. But if you are diligent, chilling it thoroughly before putting it near the fire, and leaving it over the heat just long enough to curl its corners and fleck its edges with char, you and your guests will have the opportunity to taste a truly remarkable grilled tidbit. In this recipe we serve grilled lardo strips on a salad of grilled beets and endive, with a simple orange juice vinaigrette.
INGREDIENTS:
2 beets (about 12 ounces total), well scrubbed
2 tablespoons olive oil
¾ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1