Recipe: Pork Spiedini
1 1/2 pounds Boston butt, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
Brine:
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 bay leaves, crushed
Basting Oil:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
And:
- fresh bay leaves
- 1 red onion, cut into 1 1/2-inch squares
- 1 loaf French or Italian bread, crust removed and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
To make the brine, combine the ingredients in a bowl and stir until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved.
Put the meat in a zipper-lock bag, plastic storage container, or bowl, and pour over the brine. Seal the bag or cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours. Drain and discard the brine and pat the meat dry.
Put the garlic in a microwaveable container and cover with the olive oil. Microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest, sage, lemon juice and salt. Set the garlic-flavored oil aside.
Set up a gas or charcoal grill with a medium fire.
Thread half of the meat onto skewers alternating with fresh bay leaves. Thread the remaining meat with alternating pieces of onions on other skewers. Thread the bread onto separate skewers and brush all the skewers, especially the bread, generously with the garlic oil.
Grill the skewers until the pork is firm to the touch, the vegetables are soft and beginning to color, and the bread is golden and nicely toasted. Turn the skewers frequently to prevent burning. The bread will cook the fastest and will take less than 5 minutes to become golden brown all over. The meat and vegetables should take about 10 minutes to cook, but remember that grilling times and temperatures vary a great deal, so watch carefully and pay attention to the visual clues for doneness.
To serve, slide the bread from the skewers onto the bottom of a platter. Remove the meat and vegetables from the skewers and scatter over the bread and let sit for 5 minutes before serving so that the bread can soak up some of the meat juices. If there is any garlic oil left, drizzle a little bit over all and serve.
Serves 4-6
