Victory in Defeat, Part II: Pork Ain't Just a Verb

As I mentioned in Part I of my postgame recap, I had a whole lotta pork loin, courtesy of Mandy.  I halved it into two equal 28 once portions and decided to go with a West Indian spiced marinade for the first half.

But what to do with the second?

When I'm in bind as far as finding a recipe, my go-to cookbook has often been Steven Raichlen's "The Barbecue Bible".  Perhaps it's because this book is stocked with a myriad of recipes with influences from all around the world.  Maybe it's the fact that it has separate sections devotes to marinades, sauces and rubs.  Or it could be the fact that Raichlen is a fellow member of the tribe who loves to barbecue and grill pork.

In any case, I came across a recipe that I hadn't tried before: Pork with Moorish Seasonings. As he explains, it's a hybrid recipe; The spices have a heavy North African influence (read Muslim) but the meat is a Spanish favorite - pork. A quick perusal of the ingredient list indicated that I had everything on hand in my pantry, so it was a pretty easy decision to make.

Pork with Moorish Spices

from The Barbecue Bible, by Steven Raichlen

2 pounds pork loin, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons minced fresh flat leaf parsley

1 tablespoon Spanish paprika

1/2 teaspoon crush red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons dry sherry

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

In a small bowl, add all ingredients except pork and mix well.  Place pork in a ziploc bag or covered container and add marinade.  Toss to coat well and seal, removing as much air as possible if using a bag. Refrigerate 3 hours minimum, preferably overnight.

To cook, remove pork from marinade and remove excess. Grill over medium heat 3-5 minutes. Turn over and grill 2-3 minutes longer, until meat is moist and slightly pink in the center.  Remove from heat and let rest for 5-10 minutes.

Notes:

With the copious amount of parsley mixed with garlic and olive oil, this marinade is reminiscent of an Argentinean chimmichurri.  Fresh parsley is an absolute must here.  The herbaceous flavor is the foundation for the marinade.  If possible used whole cumin and coriander seeds and grind them yourself.  The essential oils will add additional pungency to the dish and the small amount of extra effort is certainly work it.  

Saffron in one the most expensive spices in the world.  But a little goes a long way.  And it is a key ingredient if you are looking to preserve the Spanish influence on this recipe. If you desire additional heat, feel free to add extra crushed red pepper flakes as I did.  Also, I used dry sherry.  If you don't have sherry, feel free to use a dry white wine instead.

As good as the West Indian pork was, this upped the ante big time. This is definitely a meal I will be making over and over again.