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Mustard-Glazed Rack of Pork with Grilled Pineapple

This is truly an impressive presentation. Like a standing rib roast of beef, a rack of pork is regal, with its bulging eye, crusted with spices, herbs, and mustard, perched atop an arch of bones. A 4-rib rack, weighing 3½ pounds, will feed 6 people amply, but if you want to give each person a bone you will have to plan on almost a pound per person, which will come out to about 10 ounces of meat per serving. A roast of that size will not take any longer to cook, since it will have approximately the same circumference, but you will have to prepare about 50 percent more of the mustard coating.

TIMING

Prep: 10 minutes

Grill: About 2 hours

GRILL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

• Long-handled tongs

• Long-handled spatula

* * *

THE GRILL

Gas:

Indirect heat, medium (325° to 350°F)

3- or 4-burner grill–middle burner(s) off

2-burner grill–1 side off

Clean, oiled grate

Charcoal:

Indirect heat, medium ash

Split charcoal bed (about 2 dozen coals per side)

20 replacement coals

Heavy-duty drip pan set between banks of charcoal

Clean, oiled grate on medium setting

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 6 SERVINGS)

2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

4-rib rack of pork, about 3½ pounds

Oil for coating grill grate

½ teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

4 pineapple slices, ½ inch thick, peeled, cored, and quartered

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the grill as directed.

2. Mix the mustard, cinnamon, allspice, rosemary, black pepper, 2 teaspoons of the canola oil, and 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar in a bowl. Brush over the meaty parts of the pork.

3. Brush the grill grate and coat it with oil. Put the pork on the grill, bone-side down, away from the heat, cover the grill, and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers about 150°F, about 2 hours. If your grill has a temperature gauge, it should stay at around 350°F. If you are using charcoal or wood, you will probably have to replenish the coals or wood after the first hour.

4. While the pork is cooking, mix the remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar with the salt and red pepper flakes; set aside. Coat the pineapple slices with the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil.

5. During the last 20 minutes of cooking the pork, put the pineapple on the grill directly over the heat and cook until browned on both sides, sprinkling with the salt–brown sugar mixture immediately after turning.

6. Remove the pork to a large serving platter, using tongs and a spatula for support, and surround it with grilled pineapple. Let rest for 8 to 10 minutes; carve as you would a rib roast and serve with some of the pineapple.

Cajun Citrus Ribs

Spareribs and citrus don’t seem like a match made in barbecue heaven, but think about it. The acid in the citrus is a counterpoint to the rich fat of ribs, turning them from something slathered and gooey to something clean and spare. We finish them with a thin, spicy bourbon syrup just to make sure your fingers get sticky.

THE GRILL

Gas:

Indirect heat, medium (325° to 350°F)

3- or 4-burner grill–middle burner(s) off

2-burner grill–1 side off Clean, oiled grate

Charcoal:

Indirect heat, medium ash

Split charcoal bed (about 2 dozen coals per side)

20 replacement coals

Heavy-duty drip pan set between banks of charcoal

Clean, oiled grate on medium setting

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 4 SERVINGS)

2 racks ribs, about 4 pounds, St. Louis cut spareribs or baby back ribs (see page 215)

2½ cups Spicy Citrus Brine (page 364)

Oil for coating grill grate

1 cup Hot Pepper–Bourbon Syrup (page 384)

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut the racks in half. Put them in a gallon-size zipper-lock bag with the citrus brine. Seal the zipper, leaving about an inch open; push on the bag to release any trapped air