The Crown

Nope, this has nothing to do with the show on Netflix

Regal, that’s what The Crown is. And whether you think of the actual royal headcover or Excalibur, this recipe is guaranteed to impress. If you absolutely, positively want to silence every guest at your table all you have to do is serve this showstopping piece.

 

It’ll be a literal crown on your BBQ work, and proves you the ruler of fire and meat. Pork filets this tender, juicy, and downright beautiful are a rare sight indeed. This is a good project to attempt with a BBQ buddy, because you’ll need 4 hands to tie it all together.

The ingredients:

(serves 4)
Honey-mustard brine
  • 34 fl oz (1 L) apple cider vinegar
  • 34 fl oz (1 L) water
  • 8 tbsp salt
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 5 tbsp honey
  • 4 tbsp mustard seeds
  • 12 black peppercorns
Pigracks
  • 2 pork racks, carved by a butcher, with long bones
Cranberry stuffing
  • 7 oz (200 gr) butter
  • 1 white onion, finely diced
  • 6 celery stalks, cut in small pieces around ⅕ inch (5mm)
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
  • 2 apples, peeled and diced into small cubes
  • 7 oz (200 gr) cranberries, fresh or frozen
  • 7 fl oz (200 ml) white wine
  • 1 ⅓ fl oz (40 ml) calvados
  • 2 ⅔ oz (80 gr) walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 3 ½ oz (100 gr) sugar
  • 1 tsp marjoram, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp thyme, finely chopped
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 12 slices of white bread, diced in small cubes around ⅕ inch (5mm)
Glaze 
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp balsamic glaze

Gear:

  • Butcher’s string
  • Large needle
  • Injection needle
  • BBQ with cover for indirect grilling
  • 3 chunks of cherry wood (for smoking 2 x 2 inch blocks)
  • Tin foil

How to make:

Duration: prep 6 hours
Cooking about: 2 hours

 

For the honey-mustard brine, mix all ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil, storring all the while until the salt and sugar has dissolved. Refrigerate the brine to cool it. Get your BBQ buddy and hold the 2 pork racks together in a circle, bones facing out. ‘Sew’ the filets together with the butcher’s string and a large needle. Inject the filets with a generous amount of the honey-mustard brine and then fully submerge the meat in the brine. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

The Crown

Prepare a BBQ with cover for indirect grilling and heat until 150 °C (302 °F). Remove the pork racks from the brine, pat dry and leave to dry for an additional 30 minutes. Wrap the ends of the bones in tin foil to prevent them from blackening on the BBQ. Place your cherry wood chunks in the hot coals, rub the dry pork racks with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper and place in the BBQ. Cover and leave to cook for 1 hour.

 

Meanwhile, make the cranberry stuffing by melting the butter in a large pan. Fry the onions, garlic, selery, and apple in the butter until soft. Add the other ingredients except for the bread. Give it a good stir and heat thoroughly. Stir in the bread last.

 

After the crown has been smoking for 1 hour, fill the middle hole with cranberry stuffing and continue smoking.

 

For the glaze, mix all ingredients and brush the meat every ten minutes for a beautiful caramelized color. Take the crown off the BBQ when the core temperature hits 62 °C (144 °F). Remove the foil from the bone tips and cut the crown into thick slices.

Items used for this recipe

Smokey Goodness Cherry Smoke Chips
Smokey Goodness
Cherry Smoke Chips
The Bastard Fibre Thermo BBQ Gloves
The Bastard
BBQ Gloves
The Bastard Bluetooth Thermometer
The Bastard
Thermometer
The Bastard Plate Setter Square
The Bastard
Plate Setter
Tamahagane Chef's knife 150mm
Tamahagane
Chef's knife
About the Author /

erik@dutchduo.nl

Post a Comment