the pragmatic chef™

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Paul's Chinatown Roast

I always like going to Chinatown. It is a slice of a different culture right here locally. I found a parking spot right away. That is a good omen. Things were going our way. We got our won-tons and some chicken parts for stock. I haven't been to Chinatown in awhile and the pork store was no longer there.(Maybe my memory is no longer there). No worries, because there are plenty of meat markets in the various stores. I found a vendor who had various pork appendages laid out on the butcher block. Customers would converse with the butcher and he would cut away appropriately. I stood up to the plate and barked out Tenderloin Roast. Right away I knew there was a language barrier. He understood a little English. He showed me the tenderloin. I said bones. He then showed me some ribs. I saw a whole roast and I pointed to it. He brought it over and I had to use hand gestures to tell him how much I wanted. He cut it and weighed it. I said thanks and he smiled. This roast was not the tenderloin, it probably is a sirloin. It looks pretty decent and you can't beat the price. With a little brining and smoke action, I know we will have a feast for a King.

Degree of Difficulty: 3

Ingredients:

2 lb. pork sirloin roast
1/2 cup of kosher salt
1/2 cup of brown sugar
10 cups of water
1/2 cup Dry Rub (your favorite) [ed-*cough*, but not what Paul used here]
Instant read thermometer
Smoker
1 Bag of charcoal
Hickory Chips

1) Combine the sugar and salt and water in a non reactive pot which will hold the Roast. Add the roast to the pot, cover and put it in the refrigerator for 24 hours. You may want to turn the roast over every 6 hours if it is not covered completely.

2) After the 24 hours remove the roast and rinse under cool water. Dry the roast completely. Then cover the roast with your favorite dry rub. Cover loosely to keep dust or varmits away and bring it to room temperature approx. 1 hour.

3) While your roast is coming to room temperature, fire up your smoker. Soak your wood chips in some water. Depending on your type of smoker,you ideally want to smoke the roast at 225 degrees for approximately 4 hours. You should add a handful of wood chips every hour or so.

4) The only difficult part is waiting. After 4 hours you need to start using your instant read thermometer. You want the roast to come to 150. Check it every 20 minutes after 4 hours. When it hits 150 take it out and wrap it in foil and let it rest 20 minutes. I know it is difficult. You will be rewarded!!

Peace, Paul