Pork Brisket ala Secreto


 

Chris Allingham

Administrator
Staff member
I asked about this cut of meat, also known a "secreto" in Italy, in the Recipe Requests & Ingredient Questions forum. It consists of two parts, like a beef brisket, but in the opposite configuration. In a beef brisket, the fatty portion comes from the chest and the lean portion is towards the belly. In a pork brisket, the fatty portion comes from the belly and the lean portion comes from the chest as part of the picnic.

I found suggestions for braising and roasting, and Daniel Vaughn at Texas Monthly did a couple of them low & slow, but I found a Steven Raichlen recipe that seasoned it simply with kosher salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika and grilled it quickly...so I decided to do that.

I was unable to grill it as quickly as he did (suggested 2 minutes per side over medium-high direct heat, then a 2 minute rest). Mine was thin around the edges and over 1" thick in the middle, so I did some indirect grilling, then some direct searing, then more indirect grilling. The very center was about 140°F, but the thinner edges and ends were well beyond that. Still, when sliced thin on the bias and across the grain, it was delicious, tender kind of like a properly cooked tri-tip roast...not tender like beef brisket nor tender like pork tenderloin. A bit more chew, but very nice.

I won't do another...but I can say I've done one...check that off my list. :D

A few pics:

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Purchased at Belcampo in Palo Alto.

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This guy weighs 1.25 lbs. A Duroc Berkshire crossbreed, so a quality piece of protein. This is fat side up.

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This is lean side up.

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Resting...

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Sliced on the bias and across the grain.

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You can see here the challenge...thick on one side, tapering to nothing on the other. Still very delicious!
 
Steve Rachlen just did a show (episode #205-Secret steaks with Romesco Sauce) on PBS on how to cook a secreto . Now I need to figure out if local butcher can get if for me.
 

 

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