Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [64]
• Use ½ cup honey mustard instead of the mustard butterscotch (although the mustard butterscotch is really worth the extra effort).
SIRLOIN/LEG
Orange Anise Pork Sirloin Roast
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
The sirloin comprises the wide end of a fresh ham, which is the part that corresponds to the hip section of the pig. It gets a lot of exercise and therefore develops a good deal of flavor. The sirloin includes several muscle groups and bones, so a boneless sirloin is much easier to carve than one with the bones in. Because the sirloin is pretty lean, it is important to not overcook it. Brining and mopping it during roasting helps it to retain juiciness.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Orange-Anise Brine
2 pounds pork sirloin, tied into a compact roast
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons Rosemary-Anise Rub
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the brine and pork in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Press out the air, seal, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or as long as overnight.
Light a grill for indirect medium heat, about 325°F.
Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry. Coat with oil and season on both sides with 3 tablespoons of the rub. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Mix up a mop of the orange juice, vinegar, and the remaining tablespoon of the rub.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Put the pork on the grill away from the heat, cover the grill, and cook until the center of the pork registers 150°F on an instant-read thermometer, about for 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes and basting liberally with the mop after each turn, Transfer to a cutting board, let rest for 10 minutes, and slice.
SHOULDER ROAST/SHOULDER
Fire-Braised Pulled BBQ Pork Shoulder
MAKES ABOUT 10 SERVINGS
Its tough meat fibers and rich fatty layers make pork shoulder a prime candidate for slow, smoky barbecuing. The only problem is that grills aren’t very good at inundating meat with smoke. That job is done better in a smoking rig or BBQ pit. We have found that to get a pronounced flavor of smoke on a grill, it’s necessary to add smoke in the seasoning as well as in the fire. In this recipe the smoke comes from multiple directions—a brine flavored with liquid smoke (see below), a rub of smoked paprika and smoked chiles, a mop flavored with a smoky hot sauce, as well as some wood chips in the fire.
INGREDIENTS:
5 cups hardwood chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes
1 bone-in pork shoulder roast (about 5 pounds)
3 cups Smokin’ Brine, made with beer
1 tablespoon canola oil
½ cup Smokin’ Rub
1 cup Applejack Mop
10 to 12 soft rolls
DIRECTIONS:
Put the pork shoulder in a jumbo (2-gallon) zipper-lock bag. If you only have 1-gallon bags, cut the shoulder in half and use two bags. Add the brine to the bag(s), press out the air, seal, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Light a grill for indirect low heat, about 225°F, with smoke. The pork will need to cook for more than 2 hours, so if you are using charcoal or wood, you will need to light additional coals or add more wood to replenish the fire.
Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Coat with the oil and sprinkle with the rub; set aside for 15 minutes.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Add a handful or two of the wood chips. When you see smoke, put the pork on the grill away from the fire. Close the lid and cook for 1 hour. Add more wood chips and if you are using charcoal or wood, replenish the coals.
Transfer the pork to a disposable or metal roasting pan large enough to hold it comfortably, and put on the grill away from the fire. Mix up the mop ingredients and spoon one-third of it over the pork. Cover the pan with foil and grill for another hour. Uncover and spoon half of the remaining mop over the pork, re-cover, and cook until the pork can be easily pierced with a fork (about 190°F on an instant-read thermometer), 1½ to 2 more hours, basting with the mop every 30 to 45 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes.
Warm the rolls.
Pour any meat juices