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.
A few pics:
Purchased at Belcampo in Palo Alto.
This guy weighs 1.25 lbs. A Duroc Berkshire crossbreed, so a quality piece of protein. This is fat side up.
This is lean side up.
Resting...
Sliced on the bias and across the grain.
You can see here the challenge...thick on one side, tapering to nothing on the other. Still very delicious!
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.
A few pics:
Purchased at Belcampo in Palo Alto.
This guy weighs 1.25 lbs. A Duroc Berkshire crossbreed, so a quality piece of protein. This is fat side up.
This is lean side up.
Resting...
Sliced on the bias and across the grain.
You can see here the challenge...thick on one side, tapering to nothing on the other. Still very delicious!
