Seafood

"Harry's 50/50/57 Pork Loin Chops"

I've always said, "Bone-in is flavor-in and you know that I think T-Bones and Porterhouses are "old-school" and just the best. Well here is the pork version of the T-Bone. This is a Pork Loin Chop!! Filet of pork on one side, bone in the middle and pork steak on the other side. I have added a sauce/glaze that my dad used as far back as I can remember. My dad was truly a master in the backyard cookery department and I am sure I have seen this mixture printed somewhere over the years but to me, it was his. I am not sure where he got it but it makes "Pork Chops" just amazing!! Tangy, sticky, sweet, and a bit charred, this is the pork chop that I have never seen anyone push away! Serve this with some applesauce and some salad in the backyard and there will be a lot of sticky, smiling, happy faces!!!

Enjoy These Beauties!!!

Chef's Directions:

Mix Heinz 57 and Honey 50/50 in a glass bowl and set aside.
Salt and Pepper Pork Chops both sides.
Brush "lightly" with a little cooking oil
Grill over high direct heat each side making quarter turns to make cross-hatched grill marks about 8-10 minutes total on each side (4-5 minutes turn over 4-5 minutes on other side, flip over make quarter turn 4-5 more minutes, turn over make quarter turn 4-5 more minutes).
The chops will still not be done.
Now baste/brush generously with the Honey 57 mixture and turn over basted side down. (Do not leave the Grill, the sugars in the honey will burn if you do not flip at the right time).
Wait about 1-2 minutes flip over and repeat several times until you have a nice tight shiny glaze.
When done to your liking, remove from grill, loosely cover with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes so the juices redistribute themselves.

"Porchetta"

During the holidays or special occasions “Go big”, “Go large cuts” “Go something dramatic with and edge”. Porchetta (pronounced: “porketta”) is probably one of the most over-the-top things you can do on your grill or smoker and it will literally stun your guests it is so good. Porchetta a traditional Italian street food of some cultural significance, generally prepared for slicing and putting between bread or eaten on the fly and is not readily known here in the U.S. Let me tell you; Of all the barbecue pork recipes, this is Porky goodness of the highest order!!!

Essentially, Porchetta is a center-cut pork loin recipe rubbed, spiced, and layered with oranges, garlic and herbs, then wrapped with “pork belly”, tied and roasted over wood fire. You get the moist meaty spiced flavor of the pork roast and the fatty, crispy, deliciousness of the pork belly with skin all at the same time. “It is just unbelievable”. It is not difficult to make, has great flavor, and leaves some amazing juice and crunchy bits for gravy making if you are in the mood. Actually, the only tricky thing is finding a piece of pork belly that was large enough to fit around the roast (most stores break them down into smaller sizes. Talk to your butcher and order a large one ahead of time).

Try this outside and watch your guests‘ blank stares as they clean their plates. Porchetta is a truly unique experience and flavor. This is truly a unique and little known pork barbecue recipe. They’ll never forget this one and neither will you!! You’ll do more!! You should do more!!

Ingredients:

4 to 6 lb. Center-cut Pork loin roast
4 to 6 lb. Pork-belly (skin on)
3 Tbsp. Fennel Seeds crushed in a mortar and pestle or buzzed in a spice grinder (or use 2 Tbsp. of seeds and 1Tbsp. of Fennel Pollen)
2 Tbsp. Fresh Sage (finely chopped/minced)
1 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary (finely chopped/minced)
1 Tbsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
4 Garlic Cloves crushed or finely chopped. (Use only 3 if they are big)
Kosher or Sea Salt for seasoning.
1 Orange seeded and thinly sliced (leave peel on)

Grill Setup:

Indirect heat.
Use one small chunk of “mild” soaked fruitwood (Apple or Cherry). No Oak or Hickory here, they are too strong. You want this to be “kissed with smoke” NOT SMOKED.-Get the grill hot to start (425-450 degrees F.)
Prepare to drop the temperature down to 300 degrees F. after the first 40 minutes and then maintain 300 degrees F. for another 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Chef’s Prep instructions:

Combine the Fennel seeds, Sage, Rosemary, Red Pepper Flakes, and Garlic in a bowl and set aside.
Place Pork Belly skin side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife cut a checkerboard pattern in the meat side of the belly halfway down to the skin (you’ll have 1-2 inch squares all over when done).
Turn Pork Belly meat side down and with the tip of a sharp knife poke the skin all over making little holes. Do this until the skin is pocked all over. This will help ensure that the skin renders properly and crisps-up during cooking.
With skin side up, now pound the pork belly with the rough side of a meat mallet for 2 or 3 minutes to further prepare the skin for its crispy debut.
Rub the spice mixture all over the pork loin roast and the meat side of the pork belly.
Salt both generously.
Arrange/Layer the Orange Slices on top of the pork loin.
Carefully place the pork belly around the loin (meat side down against the loin)
Tie tightly at 1-2 inch intervals with Butcher’s twine.
Refrigerate “uncovered” for 4-6 hours to dry the skin out a bit and flavors to marry.
Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.

Chef’s Cooking Instructions:

Place in a rimmed baking dish (glass or metal). Do not cover with foil.
Salt the skin generously all over.
Place into your grill or smoker, close the lid and cook “uncovered” at 425 - 450 degrees F. for 45 minutes.
Drop the temperature to 300 degrees F. and cook for another 1-1/2 to 2 hours until an instant read thermometer (inserted into the center of the meat) registers 145 degrees F. and the skin is a crispy, deep mahogany color.
Remove meat, loosely tent with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Slice into large slices and serve with pan drippings or gravy you’ve made from the juices.

Note: If the fat begins to scorch in the pan as it renders during cooking add 1/2 cup of water to the dish. It will put a stop to that and give you some extra juice for drizzling or gravy later.

Skin Note: If you want crispier skin or it looks like it’s not browning enough along the way, when the instant-read thermometer reads internal temp at about 135 degrees F., crank the heat back up to 450 degrees F. again and cook at the higher temp until you reach the desired 145 degrees F. internal temp.

As far as barbecue pork recipes go, this is awesome!!!

"Chinese Glazed Baby Back Pork Ribs"

I haven’t met an American yet that doesn’t love Chinese food. I love those little pink, smoky Chinese pork ribs that are served at almost every Chinese restaurant. The problem is that I also haven’t met an American yet who thinks it’s easy to cook Chinese at home. And they’re right; it’s not easy. But these backyard marvels take those restaurant ribs to a whole new level and they are not hard to make. Sticky, sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy, these glazed pork ribs are it!! I made 6 racks of these for a friend’s party recently and they were gone in about 15 minutes. The adults and the kids devoured them!!! They take a bit of time and little attention but it’s not hard and the result is worth it!!!!!

(This recipe is for 4 racks of ribs. You can make more if you wish; just make extra marinade)

Meat/Other:

4 Racks of Baby back pork ribs (trimmed of any excess fat and membrane)
½ Cup chopped green onions for garnish (White and Green parts)

Marinade/Glaze:

1 Cup Hoisin Sauce
1 Cup Plum Sauce
¼ Cup Honey
½ Cup Light Soy Sauce
¼ Cup Dry Sherry
¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons - Chinese or Thai Fish Sauce
1 Tablespoon Dried Red Pepper Flakes
6-8 Cloves of Garlic Smashed and finely minced or put through a Garlic Press.
Mix all marinade ingredients in a non-reactive glass bowl and let sit for 15 minutes or so before using for flavors to meld.

Grill / Smoker Setup:

Set your grill or smoker up for indirect heat cooking. After coals are hot and begin to get ashen, add 3-4 fist-sized chunks of soaked fruitwood. I recommend “Apple wood” for this. Hickory is too strong and you want only a medium smoky flavor. Nothing overwhelming.

Need to achieve a consistent temperature of 250 degrees for 3-4 hours.

Chef’s Directions:

Reserve about ½ cup of the marinade/glaze for brushing on to glaze the ribs after they are fully cooked.
In a large baking dish or sheet pan, slather both sides of the ribs with some marinade (get a good coating on them). Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before grilling.
Remove the ribs from refrigeration, and place on the grill in a single layer (bone side down) or in a rib-rack (bone side back).
Close the grill and cook for 3 hours at 250 degrees (or until the meat starts to shrink away from the bones).
Re-brush the ribs generously with more marinade/glaze every 30 minutes.
After 3 hours, quickly remove the ribs to the sheet pan or baking dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil and put the whole thing back on the grill for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes has elapsed, remove from the grill and set the whole thing on a countertop and rest covered for another 20 minutes.
At this point, the ribs are ready for the final glaze and ready to serve BUT you can hold the ribs for an hour or so until your guests arrive. Any longer than that, refrigerate them until ready for use that day.
15 minutes before you are ready to serve them, re-glaze again (with a clean brush) using reserved ½ cup of marinade and put them back on the grill and heat through to tighten the glaze up.
Serve whole racks on a platter or cut individual ribs and pile them up on plates. Garnish with the chopped green onions. The meat should be fall-off-the-bone tender.

"Mustard and Herb-Crusted BBQ Pork Loin"

For any special occasion, nothing satisfies like a larger cut of meat, and pork usually does the trick. I serve this during the holidays and it is just amazing; Lightly smoked, moist, tender, rich, and savory. Encrusted in an herb, garlic, and mustard coating, you will love this!!! I know what you’re saying; where’s the bone? Well, there isn’t one in this dish. I know that I have always said that “bone in” is “flavor in” but the crust on this, the juice, and the pan gravy that you can make from the drippings makes up for the missing bone. Strangely reminiscent of that Southeastern vinegary sauced pork that we all love so much and a French herby pork roast I had in Europe all at the same time. Winter is the best time to fire this up but you could do it anytime really. Serve with your favorite grilled veggies… Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!

Meat:

1-Boneless Pork Loin Roast (Min. 4lbs. Note: The one in the picture is 7lbs.- serves probably 8 people)

Marinade:

Mix the following ingredients in a bowl and let sit for 15 minutes.

1 Cup – Dijon Mustard
¼ Cup – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon – Fresh Thyme removed from stems and rough chopped
2 Tablespoons – Fresh Flat-leaf Parsley rough chopped.
10 – Cloves of Garlic smashed with outer skin removed.

Prep:

Place Pork Loin in a shallow baking dish and slather the marinade heavily all over. Pour all excess marinade in the baking dish. You will need the extra. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours (overnight is better if you have the time).

Grill Setup:

Prepare your grill for “direct-heat” cooking (so you can sear first) and then be ready to convert to “indirect heat cooking” to achieve and sustain a temperature of 325 degrees for several hours.

Have ready one or two chunks of soaked fruitwood (you don’t want this too smoky, so use either one medium-sized chunk or 2 smaller chunks).

Chef’s Directions:

Remove to the baking dish and slather “all” of the remaining marinade all over the pork again garlic and all. Top with 3 – 4 sprigs of rosemary. Pour ½ cup of chicken broth into the bottom of the baking dish.
Remove some of the excess marinade so you have a nice uniform coating for searing. Save the rest. You will need it again.
Sear the pork roast on every side over the direct heat. Look for it to be dark brown all over
Place baking dish with pork fat side up into your smoker over “indirect-heat” set at 325 degrees. Close lid on Smoker.
Cook until the internal temperature of the pork reads 120 degrees with an instant-read thermometer (take the temperature from the center of the thickest part of the meat).
Remove from the BBQ, put on your cutting board, and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest for 20 minutes to allow the internal temperature to rise to about 130 degrees.
Slice into ¼ to ½ inch slices and serve immediately with pan drippings or pan gravy poured over the top.
While the pork is resting you can make a pan gravy in the baking dish over your stove burner if you want.
Remove pork from refrigerator 20 minutes ahead of time to take the chill off.

Ingredients:

4 racks of your favorite Baby Back Pork Ribs
4 Tablespoons BBQ Fool Original Southwestern Rub (per rack)
Your favorite "regular" BBQ Sauce (Avoid the kind with extra flavorings)
Soaked fruitwood chips (Pecan, Applewood, or Cherry work well)
(Soak the chips for at least 2 hours in water, beer, wine, or your favorite liquid)

Grill / Smoker Setup:

Need to achieve a consistent temperature of 250 degrees for 3-4 hours.

Resting Ingredients:

1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Apple Juice
Heavy-Duty Tin Foil. (2 Sheets per rack of ribs cut to leave 4-5 inches overlap on long ends.

Chef's Directions:

Start either a gas, coal-fired, or offset firebox grill and prepare for "Indirect Cooking" (As discussed above). Use Fruitwood chips or chunks in the set-up depending on the smoke that you want. Adjust the dampers on the bottom and the top to achieve the desired temperature.

Generously dry rub the ribs (on both sides) according to package directions with "Harry's Original Southwestern Style" rub or use your favorite dry spice rub. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before grilling.

When the grill is ready and to temperature, place the ribs directly on the grill and slow smoke or cook the ribs with the grill closed over indirect "Low-n-Slow Heat" (250 degrees) turning now and then until each side is a deep mahogany color. This should take about 2 hours.

Remove from the heat, place each rack on 2 large pieces of the tin foil (large enough to wrap and close around the ribs). Slather and drizzle with 1/4 of the resting mixture. Wrap tightly into a packet. Return all 4 packets to the grill and cook with low 'n slow heat (still 250 degrees) for another hour turning each of them over halfway through. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes inside the packets. Carefully remove the ribs from the packets (they may be falling off the bone a bit so be careful not to let them separate). Brush a thin layer of BBQ sauce on both sides of the ribs and return them to the grill for another 15 minutes or so to let the sauce thicken a bit and get stickier. Serve tableside with extra sauce and plenty of napkins and wet wipes!!!

Seafood

"Harry's 50/50/57 Pork Loin Chops"

"Porchetta"

"Chinese Glazed Baby Back Pork Ribs"

"Mustard and Herb-Crusted BBQ Pork Loin"

"Basic Smokey Sweet Baby Back Pork Ribs"