Mastering the Grill_ The Owner's Manual for Outdoor Cooking - Andrew Schloss [170]
2. Cut any pointed tips off the ends of the sausages. If the sausages are longer than the roast or are bent in the middle, cut the sausages in half. Stuff the sausages into each tunnel from either side so that the sausage pieces meet in the middle of each tunnel. You should have 3 tunnels completely stuffed with sausages.
3. Sprinkle the chile rub all over the roast, patting it in with your fingers. Let the meat rest at room temperature before grilling, about 1 hour.
4. Heat the grill as directed.
5. Brush the grill grate and coat it with oil. Put the roast on the grill grate directly over the heat to sear it briefly, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Douse any flare-ups with water from a spray bottle. Once it is grill-marked, move the roast to the unheated part of the grill with the fatty side up. There should be no heat directly beneath the roast. Cover the grill and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 125° to 130°F for medium-rare, about 60 to 80 minutes. For even browning, rotate the roast from end to end once during cooking. If the roast browns too much on the bottom sides, shield those sides with foil. If using charcoal, you’ll probably need to add fresh coals after about an hour. If your grill has a temperature gauge, it should stay at around 350°F.
6. Remove the roast to a large serving platter, cover loosely, and let rest for 20 minutes. Carve the roast into slices no thicker than ½ inch.
7. Serve with the chimichurri.
Honey-Glazed Roast Suckling Pig
The glow on this pig is built in layers, like an Old World painting. First it is under-painted with a ruby-colored spice rub, after which transparent layers of golden smoke gild its surface. Finally, it is lacquered with honey for a crackled, crystalline skin that’s as good as the melt-in-your-mouth meat beneath. Be strict about the size of the pig (see sidebar at right). Even a small suckling pig under 20 pounds will take up at least 2 feet of grill space, which means you will need a large, barrel-shaped grill or a gas grill with at least that much space between its outside burners to cook the pig correctly. If any part of the pig hangs directly over the fire, it will scorch; wrapping that part in heavy-duty foil will help, but it will not completely solve the problem. A big enough grill is key.
TIMING
Soak wood chunks: 1 hour
Prep: 30 minutes
Grill: 3 to 4 hours
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GRILL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
• 12 chunks apple or hickory wood (if not cooked on a wood fire)
• Heavy-duty aluminum foil
• Long-handled tongs
• Long-handled basting brush
• Large carving board
PROCURING A PIG
A suckling pig is not just a small pig; it is an infant. The North American Meat Processors Association has developed guidelines for butchering and sizing animals, to which all butchers subscribe. Under these guidelines animals are categorized by size, A through D. Unless you have a gargantuan grill, you want to purchase a pig in the A weight range, which is 12 to 24 pounds. These will cost much more per pound than larger pigs, but you will end up paying about the same amount for the whole pig. Most supermarket meat departments will not be able to get an item this specific, so we suggest you look for a good-quality Italian or Hispanic butcher. You can order frozen suckling pigs online from www.mcreynoldsfarms.com.
THE GRILL (MINIMUM 36-INCH-WIDE FIRE BED)
Gas:
Indirect heat, low (225°F)
3- or 4-burner grill-middle burner(s) off
Clean, oiled grate
Charcoal:
Indirect heat, heavy ash
Split charcoal bed (about 3 dozen coals per side)
Large, heavy-duty drip pan set between banks of charcoal 60 to 80 replacement coals
Clean, oiled grate on high setting
Wood:
Indirect heat, heavy ash
2 beds, 8 by 8 inches and 2 inches deep
Additional wood for replacement
Clean, oiled grate set