Sweet and Spicy Brined Pork Loin
From Sam Dickey, Granite Cafe
3 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
3 tablespoons whole cardamom seeds
3 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
3 tablespoons whole comino seeds
3 tablespoons whole fennel seeds
10 cascabel chiles (a dry chile with a smooth, dark reddish-brown skin, about 3 inches long)
3/4 cup honey
1 stick canela (similar to cinnamon but more papery; 1/2 stick cinnamon may be substituted)
4 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
1 cup kosher salt or rock salt
4 pounds whole pork loin, fat trimmed off
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup freshly ground black pepper
Put peppercorns, and cardamom, coriander, comino, coriander, and fennel seeds in an ungreased cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and toast until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stem and seed cascabel chiles, then toast in an ungreased cast-iron skillet over medium heat, turning frequently, until crisp, about 5 minutes.
To make brine, put toasted spices and chiles, honey, canela, cloves, bay leaves, and salt in a large pot with a gallon of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, then cool water to room temperature. Put pork in a large, nonreactive bowl;, cover with cooled brine;, and refrigerate, covered, for 8 to 24 hours. (Discard brine when finished.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove pork and pat dry. Rub with oil and sprinkle with pepper. Heat a thick-bottomed, oven-proof pan over high heat and sear pork on all sides. Place pan in oven and cook, uncovered, until medium done, about 35 minutes, or until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 150 degrees. Let rest for 10 or 15 minutes before slicing. (May also be served cold.) Serves 8.
From the July 2001 issue.
A Star-Spangled SpreadSix top Austin chefs set off culinary fireworks with a potluck picnic for the Fourth of July.
Five weeks before the real event, Casa Volpe (Italian for "Fox House"), as Lisa and Emmett Fox of Austin's Asti call their stylish Tuscan-Texan villa outside Austin, was the scene of a pre-picnic photo shoot and sampling fest. As late-afternoon sunlight flooded the covered deck, the chefs began to arrive, bearing great baskets and platters of food. Marion Gillcrist, the chef and a co-owner of La Traviata, brought fresh, creamy Texas mozzarella and a bounty of heirloom tomatoes in shades from crimson to orange to green with yellow stripes. Aquarelle's Jacques Richard, a native of France, showed up with a still life of raw and blanched vegetables and a bowl of the world's most garlicky aïoli. Sam Dickey, the chef and a co-owner of the Granite Cafe, whipped up luscious mashed sweet potatoes infused with maple syrup and cascabel chiles. Will Packwood of Emilia's, who was recently named one of the country's top ten up-and-coming chefs by Food & Wine magazine, reinterpreted five-bean salad with a terrific parsley-thyme-scallion vinaigrette. For their part, the genial hosts prepared grilled lobsters (filled with vegetable slaw in a rainbow of colors) and homemade vanilla ice cream with swirls of puréed fresh peach.
Recipes
Crudites and Sauce Aioli
Five-Bean-and-Red-Onion Salad
Grilled Lobsters With Summer-Vegetable Slaw
Heirloom Tomatoes and Texas Mozarella
Honey-Ginger Applesauce
Mashed Maple-Cascabel Sweet Potatoes
Peach Swirl Vanilla Ice Cream
Sweet and Spicy Brined Pork Loin
Texas Blueberry Shortcake
My Library
