Pork
Tue Jun 21, 2011
Cubanos
Remember last week when I said my two picnic shoulders, roasted into Pernil, went fast? That amazing disappearing pork had a whole lot to do with these Cubanos. Yes, the meat was excellent on its own, but there's something some so right, so exceptional with a Cubano—a pressed sandwich with ham, roasted pork, swiss cheese, pickles, and yellow mustard—that makes it truly irresistible.
More and recipe after the jump >>
Fri Jun 17, 2011
Pernil
Hand me a pork shoulder and I know what to do with it—rub it down, throw it in the smoker, let it slow cook at 225 degrees until the fat and connective tissue break down and leaves nothing but the most tender, juicy pork that can easily be pulled by hand. For all my barbecuing years, this has worked fairly flawlessly for me, so you can imagine how hard it was to throw out my experience and go an opposite direction when deciding to tackle pernil—a Puerto Rican favorite of a pork shoulder covered in a garlicky marinade, then roasted.
More and recipe after the jump >>
Thu May 19, 2011
Pork Souvlaki
Woot, Meatwave is almost upon us! Truthfully, I wished to have it started already, but being away and then being busy, I didn't have everything together to get the meat rolling. With the cold rainy days we've been having in New York, the delay is probably for the best, plus it's given me time to get my deck all gussied up for the awaiting hungry herds—something I've failed to do in the past. As I was outside, literally waiting for paint to dry between coats, I'd just sit and stare out onto the expanse of backyards I'm lucky to have a surrounding me in NYC. In particular, focusing on the overgrown lawn of the neighbors directly across from me, which left me deep in memories of the boisterous family that used to live there—the only people who grilled more than me. Although I don't miss their Greek house music blaring at midnight, I do miss their generosity in sharing grilled goods, and they made a pork souvlaki like you couldn't believe (obtained in a fair ribs/souvlaki trade).
More and recipe after the jump >>
Tue Mar 15, 2011
Vietnamese Pork with Vermicelli
Next month I'm going to attempt to climb the highest peak in Texas (contrary to popular belief, Texas is not flat, it actually stretches up to the sky in the area of 8,700 feet). In theory, I should be able to achieve this, but my chance of failure is pretty high in my current physical state. It's high time I start to put some real action behind my goal to lose a little and shape-up. I'm writing this off of a weekend that had me biking 40 miles, a week where I forced myself to eat *gasp* 2 salads and walk a minimum of 15 miles. Part of this plan was not really to eat stuff better for me, but exercise portion control while enjoying the same high quality of flavor I'm used to. A perfect example is this beautiful bowl of Vietnamese pork resting atop a pile of vermicelli.
More and recipe after the jump >>
Wed Feb 23, 2011
Pecan-Crusted Pork Pinwheels
You may have caught on between this blog and my ramblings on Serious Eats that I really love to roll things up in meat. Pastes, cheeses, fruits, they're all fodder to deliver additional flavor and texture to grilled meat by becoming entwined into one. Nothing takes the cake more than rolling meat within meat, and what filling is better than bacon, and what meat more fitting than pork. Get ready for some hardcore pig on pig action with these tasty pecan-crusted pork pinwheels.
