("Y'know, pork roasts? Ya gotta kinda cook them just right or they get kinda leathery on ya.")
We've all dried out a few pork roasts in our day, and it's no fun to suffer through a jerky-like pork experience. To avoid that, I've been doing this larding technique for quite a few years now, but after searching through the archives I was surprised I'd never blogged about it before. Rather than go into it again, read this post about larding vs. barding from aways back in '05 to get my take on the difference.
Bottom line is adding fat to moisten a potentially dry pork roast is a fine idea, not that it's impossible to create a juicy, succulent roast by other means, far from it. But taking the opportunity to add some additional flavor as well is really a bonus.
I've done this with pork tenders and homemade chorizo, served with a pasilla cream sauce, with excellent results, especially with a professional casing filler at my disposal. Run a chef's steel through a pork tender, widen the opening a touch, then fill with the casing machine. Easy. But at home, what I decided to do is follow the side seam of a sirloin roast, butterflying it, then I added some hot Italian sausage and sealed it with a bamboo skewer along the seam, with a few bits cut off to seal the ends. Rubbed it well with Survival Spice®, or as I humbly (ahem) like to think of it, "the ultimate pork rub", and it was ready for the grill.
While I was working outside I cooked this directly, then indirectly with a combination of charcoal and dry hickory chips- not for smoke, just for flavor. I left it on the grill a bit longer than I would have liked, but it was terrific.
I was going to cook other stuff to go with this, but I blew it off. Can you blame me?
I will be right over.
Come on over! I'm most of the way through a bottle of a pretty good '97 cab, so other than missing Julie, I'm ready to eat!
ah the memories tonite... i did up some thick cut pork chops with the ss i found in the mail box this morning! thanks scott! pics will be sent soon. oh my was that good!!!
Dang, I thought I left a comment here the other day. Now I can't remember what comment I made, crud.
I need to come up with something for tonight, thinking something roasty.
Biggles
I think it was an email thing, Biggles.
Roasty, eh? Whatever it is, I'll bet it will kick butt.
Yeah, did a few pork roasts last week and they were quite tasty! I have a tritip in the fridge that needs eatin'. Thought I would thinly slice it, marinate it, toss to searing hot cast iron grilly pan. Eat.
Biggles