The Big Book of Backyard Cooking (10 page)

Oil a grill rack and arrange 4 to 5 inches from heat source. Prepare grill for a hot fire (high temperature). Grill chops 3 to 4 minutes per side or until cooked through and flesh is white. (Internal temperature should be 160 degrees F.)

Arrange chops on a serving platter and place a dollop of the seasoned butter on top of each. The butter will start to melt and cover the meat with its delicious flavors. Garnish each chop with a tarragon sprig. Serve immediately.

NOTE:
When buying pork chops for this recipe, ask the butcher to use 1-inch-thick chops, each about 5 to 6 ounces, and to butterfly them so that they are ½

inch thick.

PORK TENDERLOINS WITH PEACH GINGER

SAUCE

Sautéed sweet Vidalia onions, fresh ginger, balsamic vinegar, red wine, soy sauce, and generous
hints of cinnamon and black pepper are the unusual combination of ingredients used for both the
marinade and the sauce for these succulent pork tenderloins. At serving time, ripe peaches are
diced and added to the warm sauce. Sesame and Ginger Coleslaw
(page 178)
and Green Beans
Tossed with Olive Oil and Chives
(page 147)
are good side dishes to go with the pork.

SERVES 6 TO 8

1
tablespoon vegetable oil, plus extra for oiling grill rack

1
cup chopped Vidalia onion

5
tablespoons sugar

1½
cups dry red wine

¾
cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

¼
cup balsamic vinegar

2½
tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

1½
teaspoons ground cinnamon

½
teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

3
12-ounce pork tenderloins, trimmed of excess fat

1½
cups diced fresh peaches (3 to 4 peaches cut into ½-inch dice)

2
tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium, heavy nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until onion is golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the wine, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, cinnamon, and pepper, and cook for 1 minute, stirring just to combine. Remove from heat and cool mixture completely.

Place pork tenderloins in a large, self-sealing plastic bag or in a shallow nonreactive pan. Pour 1 cup of the sauce over the meat and seal the bag or cover pan with plastic wrap. Marinate at least 6

hours or overnight, turning meat several times. Cover and refrigerate remaining sauce mixture. Bring pork to room temperature 30 minutes before grilling.

When ready to cook, oil a grill rack and arrange 4 to 5 inches from heat source. Prepare grill for a medium fire (medium temperature). Grill pork, turning several times, until a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees F, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove meat and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Heat reserved sauce in a medium saucepan over high heat until it has reduced slightly. Stir in diced peaches and cook until peaches are warmed, about 1 minute more.

To serve, slice tenderloins on the diagonal into ½-inch-thick slices. Arrange on a serving plate and coat lightly with sauce. Sprinkle chives over meat. Pass extra sauce in a small bowl.

NOTE:
You can replace peaches with nectarines in this recipe.

PORK LOIN IN A ROSEMARY JACKET

A creative assistant suggested the idea of a grilled pork loin wrapped in fresh herbs. After trying
many versions, the best turned out to be one in which a boneless loin is split and filled with
chopped herbs, orange peel, and garlic. The pork is then brushed with mustard, covered with
rosemary and thyme sprigs, and tied. During the grilling the herb jacket slowly becomes charred,
producing a pleasant fragrance, while keeping the meat beneath from drying out. For serving, the
sprigs are removed and the meat carved. The pale white slices, with distinctive lines of filling
running through the centers, are exceptionally moist and tender. This roast is delicious served
warm or cold.

SERVES 4 TO 5

1
2-pound boneless center-cut pork loin, about 8 inches long and 4 inches in diameter (see note)
3
large navel oranges

1
tablespoon chopped garlic

1½
teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus 10 to 12 long sprigs

1
teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, plus 10 to 12 long sprigs

Kosher salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

¼
cup whole-grain Dijon mustard

Cotton kitchen twine

Vegetable oil for oiling grill rack

Place the roast on a work surface, and with a sharp knife held parallel to the work surface, make a slit ¾ of the way through the center of the roast. Do not cut all the way through. Open the meat out like it was a book and set aside.

Grate enough zest from the oranges to yield 1 tablespoon and place in a small bowl. Juice the oranges.

Add the garlic, chopped rosemary, chopped thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, and several grinds of black pepper to the bowl with the orange zest. Mix well. Spread the mixture on one side of the opened meat and then close. Brush the entire outside surface (top, bottoms, sides, and ends) of meat with mustard.

Encase the roast alternately with rosemary and thyme sprigs, leaving the short rounded ends uncovered. (The mustard will help the herbs adhere to the meat.)

Tie the roast with twine at 1-inch intervals. Place the roast in a large self-sealing plastic bag and add the reserved orange juice. Refrigerate, turning several times while marinating, 6 hours or overnight.

An hour before grilling, remove meat from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Pour marinade into a small saucepan and boil over high heat for 5 minutes. Set aside for basting roast.

Oil a grill rack and arrange 4 to 5 inches from heat source. Prepare grill for a medium fire (medium temperature). Grill roast, covered with the lid of grill. Turn and baste the roast often with the reserved marinade as this will keep the herbs and the string from burning. Grill until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F when stuck into the thickest part of the roast. Grilling time should be 55 to 70 minutes or longer. (You may need to start the fire a second time if using a charcoal grill.)

Remove pork loin and let rest 10 minutes. Then cut string and remove herbs. Slice into ¼-to ½-

inch-thick slices. Arrange overlapping slices on a platter and salt lightly.

NOTE:
Pork loins of similar weights can vary in shape. For this recipe a single loin that is long and slender is the best choice.

PORK AND PRUNE BROCHETTES

Tender morsels of pork skewered with prunes are a simple but distinctive main course to cook on
the grill. The prunes are first simmered in wine, brandy, honey, and spices, then removed so that
the liquids can be reduced to form a glaze to brush on the grilled pork and prunes. A sprinkling of
orange peel adds flavor as well as color to the finished dish. Sesame-Scented Sugar Snaps (page

161) and Watercress, Cucumber, and Belgian Endive Salad (page 194) would make fine

accompaniments.

SERVES 6

40
large (about 14 ounces) pitted prunes

2¼
cups dry red wine

6
tablespoons brandy

4½
tablespoons honey

3
3-inch sticks cinnamon, broken in half

¼
teaspoon ground cloves

Coarsely ground black pepper

6
metal or wooden skewers (which have been soaked in water for 30 minutes before using and patted dry)

2
12-to 14-ounce pork tenderloins, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes Vegetable oil for oiling grill rack and brushing prunes and pork

Salt

2
large navel oranges

Place prunes in a medium, heavy saucepan and add wine, ¾ cup water, brandy, honey, cinnamon, cloves, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir to combine, place over medium-high heat, and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat.

Using a slotted spoon, remove prunes and cinnamon. Set prunes aside and discard cinnamon.

Return the saucepan to high heat and cook until mixture becomes syrupy and has reduced to about ⅓ cup. This will take several minutes; watch carefully. Remove from heat and set aside. When prunes have cooled to room temperature, skewer them alternately with pork cubes. (The brochettes can be prepared 4 to 5 hours ahead. Place on a platter, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before grilling.)

When ready to grill, oil a grill rack and arrange 4 to 5 inches from heat source. Prepare grill for a hot fire (high temperature). Brush prunes and pork with vegetable oil, then salt and pepper them generously. Grill skewered pork 10 to 12 minutes, turning frequently. If you have a lid, cover the grill with it, leaving the vents open. When done, the pork cubes should be browned and the meat cooked through so that a meat thermometer inserted into several cubes registers 160 degrees F.

While the pork is cooking, use a citrus stripper to remove the rind from the oranges in long strips. If you don’t have a citrus stripper, use a sharp paring knife to remove just the colored portion of the skin in long peels. Cut the peels into very thin matchstick strips.

Arrange the cooked pork and prune brochettes on a serving platter and brush on all sides with some of the reduced wine mixture. Sprinkle with orange strips.

Shish kebab originates from the Turkish words
sis
(skewer) and
kebabiu
(meat grilled in
small chunks).

LIME PORK CHOPS WITH TOMATO SOUR

CREAM GARNISH

These succulent chops, flavored with robust spices, are well balanced by a bracing
accompaniment of sour cream combined with sliced grape tomatoes and chopped green onions.

Try them with the Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Lime and Honey
(page 176)
and Grilled Corn
on the Cob
(page 136).

SERVES 6

6
5-ounce boneless center-cut pork loin chops, ¾ to 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat
¼
cup olive oil, plus extra for oiling grill rack

3
serrano peppers, about 3 inches long, seeded and minced
(see page 17)

2½
tablespoons fresh lime juice (2 to 3 limes)

1½
teaspoons ground cumin

Kosher salt

¾
teaspoon red pepper flakes

GARNISH

¾
cup regular or reduced-fat (not nonfat) sour cream

12
small grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered and seeded

3
green onions including 3 inches of green stems, finely sliced

Kosher salt

3
tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Place pork chops in a shallow nonreactive dish that will hold them comfortably in a single layer.

Whisk together ¼ cup oil, minced serranos, lime juice, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes.

Pour over pork. Cover and refrigerate. Marinate 6 hours or overnight, turning several times. Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before grilling.

Thirty minutes before you are ready to cook the pork chops, prepare the garnish. In a small bowl, mix together sour cream, tomatoes, green onions, ½ teaspoon salt, and cilantro. Set aside at room temperature.

When ready to cook, oil a grill rack and arrange 4 to 5 inches from heat source. Prepare grill for a hot fire (high temperature). Remove pork from marinade and pat dry. Grill chops until cooked all the way through, 6 minutes or longer per side. The flesh should be white when done. (Internal temperature should be 160 degrees F.) Arrange chops on a platter. Garnish each chop with a dollop of sauce and pass extra sauce separately.

CHICKEN WITH MANGO, TOMATO, AND KIWI

SALSA

This simple marinated grilled chicken served with a bracing salsa was one of the most popular
recipes I taught in a series of cooking classes one summer. The tri-color salsa can be made
several hours ahead so that all that is necessary at serving time is to fire the grill and quickly
cook the chicken.

SERVES 8

4
tablespoons fresh lime juice

4
tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for oiling grill rack

Kosher salt

½
teaspoon ground cumin

½
teaspoon red pepper flakes

8
5-to 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed of excess fat, or 16 four-ounce skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat

Mango, Tomato, and Kiwi Salsa
(page 309)

Three hours ahead, prepare marinade for chicken. Combine lime juice, 4 tablespoons oil, ½

teaspoon salt, cumin, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and whisk well. Remove the small strip of meat called the fillet from the underside of each chicken breast and save for another use. Place chicken in a shallow nonreactive pan and pour marinade over. Cover and refrigerate, 2 to 3 hours, turning several times.

Oil a grill rack and arrange 4 to 5 inches from heat source. Prepare grill for a hot fire (high temperature). Remove chicken from marinade. Grill until chicken springs back when touched with your fingers and juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a sharp knife, 4 to 5 minutes per side for breasts and slightly longer for thighs. (Internal temperature should be 170 degrees F for breasts and 180 degrees F for thighs.)

Arrange cooked chicken on a serving platter. Season with salt, and garnish generously with Mango, Tomato, and Kiwi Salsa. Pass any remaining salsa separately.

FENNEL AND ROSEMARY–COATED

CHICKEN

A distinctive trio of strong flavors—crushed rosemary, fennel seeds, and lemon juice—give these
boneless chicken breasts their robust taste. Much to my delight, I’ve discovered that this main
course is not very demanding of my time. I place the chicken pieces in the marinade in the morning
and forget about them while they marinate all day. Then at serving time I rub dry seasonings on
the breasts and quickly grill them.