The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (236 page)
Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
MAKES ABOUT
¹⁄
4
CUP; ENOUGH FOR 1 RECIPE
GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN
If using this spice rub, coat the tenderloins with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to help the spices adhere.
1 | tablespoon fennel seeds |
1 | tablespoon cumin seeds |
1 | tablespoon coriander seeds |
1¹⁄ | teaspoons dry mustard |
1¹⁄ | teaspoons packed light brown sugar |
³⁄ | teaspoon ground cinnamon |
¹⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
Toast fennel, cumin, and coriander seeds in small skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl, let cool to room temperature, and grind to powder in spice grinder. Stir in mustard, sugar, cinnamon, and pepper.
MAKES ABOUT
¹⁄
2
CUP; ENOUGH FOR 1 RECIPE
GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN
Honey can be substituted for the marmalade.
1 | tablespoon grated orange zest |
3 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | tablespoon chopped fresh sage |
1 | tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil |
1 | tablespoon orange marmalade |
¹⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
Combine all ingredients in bowl.
MAKES ABOUT
¹⁄
3
CUP; ENOUGH FOR 1 RECIPE
GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN
If you don’t have sambal oelek chili paste, substitute ¹⁄
2
teaspoon dried red pepper flakes.
2 | tablespoons grated fresh ginger |
2 | scallions, minced |
2 | tablespoons packed light brown sugar |
3 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | tablespoon hoisin sauce |
1 | tablespoon toasted sesame oil |
1 | teaspoon sambal oelek |
¹⁄ | teaspoon five-spice powder |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
Combine all ingredients in bowl.
KOSHER? YES. ENHANCED? NO.
In the test kitchen we often brine chicken and pork to ensure moist, well-seasoned meat. But there are options at the store that allow you to skip this step. For chicken, that means buying a kosher bird. Koshering is a process similar to brining; it involves coating the chicken with salt to draw out any impurities. Kosher birds are also all-natural and contain no hormones or antibiotics, which makes them a good option.
Some people are surprised that pork is lean and prone to drying out. In fact, today’s pork is 50 percent leaner than its 1950s counterpart, and less fat means less flavor and moisture. The industry has addressed this issue by introducing enhanced pork, which is meat injected with a solution of water, salt, and sodium phosphate. The idea is to both season the pork and prevent it from drying out. We’ve conducted countless tests comparing enhanced pork to natural pork and unequivocally prefer the latter. Natural pork has a better flavor and, if it’s cooked correctly, moisture isn’t an issue. We also strongly recommend brining most cuts of pork, which lends both moisture and seasoning to the meat. Manufacturers don’t use the terms “enhanced” or “natural” on package labels, but if the pork has been enhanced it will have an ingredient list. Natural pork contains just pork and won’t have an ingredient list. While natural pork benefits from brining, enhanced pork should not be brined because it’s already pretty salty.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Though pork tenderloin is sublimely tender, it is also lean and often lacking flavor. We wanted a grilled tenderloin packed with flavor—in a stuffing—so we started with potent ingredients like olives, anchovies, Manchego cheese, and smoked paprika. To fit plenty of flavor inside this skinny cut, we pounded the tenderloin thin and rolled it around the filling, opting for a thick paste topped with baby spinach leaves. Indirect heat on the grill allowed the stuffing to heat through before the exterior of the pork overcooked, and a brown sugar rub caramelized nicely, giving the pork a deep amber hue.
SERVES 6 TO 8
We prefer natural to enhanced pork (pork that has been injected with a salt solution to increase moistness and flavor) for this recipe.
4 | teaspoons packed dark brown sugar |
Salt and pepper | |
2 | (1¹⁄ |
1 | recipe stuffing (recipes follow) |
1 | cup baby spinach |
2 | tablespoons olive oil |
1.
Combine sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in bowl. Cut each tenderloin in half horizontally, stopping ¹⁄
2
inch from edge so halves remain attached. Open up tenderloins, cover with plastic wrap, and pound to ¹⁄
4
-inch thickness. Trim any ragged edges to create rough rectangle about 10 inches by 6 inches. Season interior of pork with salt and pepper.
2.
With long side of pork facing you, spread half of stuffing mixture over bottom half of pork followed by ¹⁄
2
cup of spinach. Roll away from you into tight cylinder, taking care not to squeeze stuffing out ends. Position tenderloin seam side down, evenly space 5 pieces kitchen twine underneath, and tie. Repeat with remaining tenderloin, stuffing, and spinach.
3A. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL:
Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
3B. FOR A GAS GRILL:
Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s). (Adjust primary burner as needed during cooking to maintain grill temperature between 325 and 350 degrees.)
4.
Clean and oil cooking grate. Coat pork with oil, then rub entire surface with brown sugar mixture. Place pork on cool side of grill, cover, and cook until meat registers 140 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pork halfway through cooking.
5.
Transfer pork to carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Remove twine, slice pork into ¹⁄
2
-inch-thick slices, and serve.
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP; ENOUGH FOR 1 RECIPE GRILLED STUFFED PORK TENDERLOIN
Roasted red peppers may be substituted for the piquillo peppers.
1 | slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into ¹⁄ |
³⁄ | cup jarred piquillo peppers, rinsed and patted dry |
2 | ounces Manchego cheese, shredded (¹⁄ |
¹⁄ | cup pine nuts, toasted |
2 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | teaspoon minced fresh thyme |
¹⁄ | teaspoon smoked paprika |
Salt and pepper |
Pulse all ingredients except salt and pepper in food processor until coarsely chopped, 5 to 10 pulses; season with salt and pepper to taste.
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP; ENOUGH FOR 1 RECIPE GRILLED STUFFED PORK TENDERLOIN
¹⁄ | cup pitted kalamata olives |
¹⁄ | cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped coarse |
4 | anchovy fillets, rinsed |
2 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | teaspoon minced fresh thyme |
1 | teaspoon grated lemon zest |
Salt and pepper |
Pulse all ingredients except salt and pepper in food processor until coarsely chopped, 5 to 10 pulses; season with salt and pepper to taste.
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP; ENOUGH FOR 1 RECIPE GRILLED STUFFED PORK TENDERLOIN
Avoid jarred or canned artichokes; frozen artichokes have a much fresher flavor.
¹⁄ | ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and minced |
3 | ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and patted dry (³⁄ |
1 | ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (¹⁄ |
¹⁄ | cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped coarse |
¹⁄ | cup fresh parsley leaves |
2 | tablespoons pine nuts, toasted |
2 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons juice |
Salt and pepper |
Pulse all ingredients except salt and pepper in food processor until coarsely chopped, 5 to 10 pulses; season with salt and pepper to taste.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Grilling a bulky cut of meat like a pork rib roast may sound difficult, but it’s not. We found that a tender, quick-cooking center-cut rib roast and a simple salt rub were all that we needed for a juicy grilled roast with a thick mahogany crust. We grilled it over indirect heat (on the cooler side of the grill) so it could cook through slowly, adding a single soaked wood chunk for a subtle tinge of smoke flavor. After little more than an hour on the grill, our roast was tender and juicy, with plenty of rich, deep flavor. A fresh orange salsa is the perfect counterpoint to the roast’s richness.
SERVES 6 TO 8
If you buy a blade-end roast (sometimes called a “rib-end roast”), tie it into a uniform shape with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals; this step is unnecessary with a center-cut roast. For easier carving, ask the butcher to remove the tip of the chine bone and to cut the remainder of the chine bone between each rib. One medium wood chunk, soaked in water for 1 hour, can be substituted for the wood chip packet on a charcoal grill.
1 | (4- to 5-pound) center-cut rib or blade-end bone-in pork roast, tip of chine bone removed, fat trimmed to ¹⁄ |
4 | teaspoons kosher salt |
1 | cup wood chips, soaked in water for 15 minutes and drained |
1¹⁄ | teaspoons pepper |
1 | recipe |
1.
Pat roast dry with paper towels. Using sharp knife, cut slits in surface fat layer, spaced 1 inch apart, in crosshatch pattern, being careful not to cut into meat. Season roast with salt. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.
2.
Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap soaked chips in foil packet and cut several vent holes in top.
3A. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL:
Open bottom vent halfway. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour into steeply banked pile against side of grill. Place wood chip packet on coals. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent halfway. Heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 5 minutes.
3B. FOR A GAS GRILL:
Place wood chip packet over primary burner. Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 15 minutes. Turn primary burner to medium-high and turn off other burner(s). (Adjust primary burner as needed during cooking to maintain grill temperature around 325 degrees.)
4.
Clean and oil cooking grate. Unwrap roast and season with pepper. Place roast on grate with meat near, but not over, coals and flames and bones facing away from coals and flames. Cover (position lid vent over meat if using charcoal) and cook until meat registers 140 degrees, 1¹⁄
4
to 1¹⁄
2
hours.
5.
Transfer roast to carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 30 minutes. Carve into thick slices by cutting between ribs. Serve, passing salsa, if using, separately.
