Best Chef Johns Yucatan Style Grilled Pork Recipes

YUCATAN STYLE PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the annatto seeds, vinegar, olive oil, oregano, coriander, cumin, black pepper, chiles and garlic in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Rub the paste all over the pork shoulder. Lay one banana leave in the bottom of a deep hotel pan, then place the rubbed pork on top. Add the orange and lime juices, then add the salt. Lay the remaining banana leaf over top. Cover with foil and cook in the oven for 5 to 6 hours.
• Remove the pork and allow to cool. Remove the fat and bone and shred the meat. Then serve while hot, it's ready to eat.

GRILLED PORK TACOS AL PASTOR

Steps:

• Place dried guajillo and pasilla chiles into a bowl and pour in boiling water to cover. Let chiles stand 30 minutes to soften.
• Cut pork tenderloins in half crosswise and in half again lengthwise again to make 8 long strips.
• Drain water from chiles and pour in pineapple juice and vinegar. Add garlic cloves, chipotle pepper, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, cumin, and oregano. Transfer chile mixture to a blender and blend to make a smooth marinade.
• Place pork into a resealable plastic bag and pour marinade over pork; knead bag several times to coat pork. Squeeze out excess air and seal the bag. Refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat outdoor grill (preferably charcoal) for high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove pork from bag and drain and discard marinade; transfer pork to a platter. Drizzle meat with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and season with salt. Use tongs to gently stir pork pieces to coat lightly with oil.
• Cook pork strips on preheated grill until meat shows good grill marks and is lightly pink in the center, 7 to 8 minutes per side. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the center of the largest piece should read at least 145 degrees F (65 degrees C). Transfer pork to a fresh platter.
• Drizzle a nonstick skillet with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and place over medium heat. Lay a tortilla into the hot oil and place 1 slice of Monterey Jack cheese into center of the tortilla. Cook until tortilla is hot, lightly browned on the bottom, and cheese has melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining tortillas and cheese slices. Transfer each tortilla to a plate.
• Slice pork strips across the grain into pieces about 1/4 inch thick. Divide shredded cabbage onto each tortilla and top each with about 6 slices of pork, 1 tablespoon roasted tomato salsa, and a few slices of jalapeno pepper. Fold taco over fillings to eat.

CHEF JOHN'S GRILLED JERK PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Cut the tenderloin in half and set the thinner end to the side. Cut the thicker end in half lengthwise. You should have 3 mostly equal pieces.
• Combine onion, thyme, vinegar, garlic, habanero peppers, ginger, soy sauce, vegetable oil, brown sugar, allspice, black pepper, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a blender. Puree until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.
• Pour Jerk marinade into a resealable plastic bag. Add pork tenderloin pieces, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
• Grill pork, moving if necessary to avoid overcooking the thin parts of the meat, until dark grill marks appear and they lift easily from the grill, 6 to 7 minutes each side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

PORK SALTIMBOCCA

Steps:

• Remove silvery membrane from surface of the tenderloin with a sharp knife. Reserve the trimmings. Trim off the small "head" pieces of the tenderloin where there is a natural separation; this is optional. Reserve.
• Cut tenderloin in half crosswise to make 2 equal portions. Cut each half lengthwise in half to make 4 pieces. Transfer to a bowl; refrigerate while you start the sauce.
• Chop the reserved trimmings very fine. Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat until caramelized and nicely browned, 4 or 5 minutes. Stir in broth and gelatin. Stir in water. Cook and stir over medium or medium-low heat at a low simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 1 1/2 hours. Add more water if it reduces too quickly.
• Place pork sections between to pieces of plastic wrap. Pound to a thickness of about 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Turn each piece over. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Dust very lightly with about 2 teaspoons flour. Flip back over; sprinkle with black pepper only. Press 3 sage leaves onto surface of each piece of pork. Cover completely with prosciutto, cutting or tearing strips to fit. A bit of overlap is okay.
• Place sheet of plastic wrap back over the pork and pound very lightly to make sure the prosciutto sticks to the pork. Transfer to a plate; cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes.
• Strain pork broth into a bowl.
• Place skillet over high heat; add olive oil. When olive oil is hot and shimmering, place pork pieces in the oil prosciutto side down. Cook about 3 minutes. Carefully turn pieces and cook another minute. Remove skillet from heat. Transfer pork to warm serving plates.
• Blot excess oil from skillet with paper towels. Add wine and pork broth. Cook over high heat until mixture thickens and reduces by about half, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Spoon hot sauce over pork sections.

CHEF JOHN'S SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• Sprinkle pork chops with poultry seasoning, salt, and black pepper on both sides. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; brown pork chops well on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
• Discard excess grease from pan and melt butter in the same skillet. Reduce heat to medium and stir onion in the hot skillet with a pinch of salt until onion is very browned and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute; stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes.
• Pour chicken broth into skillet and stir, dissolving browned bits of food in the bottom of the skillet. Pour juices that have accumulated on plate containing pork chops into the sauce. Mix in buttermilk until smooth. Add water. Bring sauce to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook until onions begin to break down and sauce is thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Place pork chops into sauce, spooning sauce over meat to coat. Turn heat to low and simmer until chops are tender and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Adjust levels of salt and pepper and serve chops with gravy on top.

CHEF JOHN'S YUCATAN-STYLE GRILLED PORK

Steps:

• Place orange juice, lemon juice, and lime juice in a bowl. Add garlic, kosher salt, annatto powder, chipotle powder, ground cumin, cayenne, oregano, and black pepper. Whisk until well blended.
• Cut the tenderloins in half crosswise; cut each piece in half lengthwise. Place pieces in marinade and thoroughly coat with the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap with the wrap touching the surface of the meat and marinade. (Or transfer mixture to a resealable plastic bag.) Refrigerate 4 to 6 hours.
• Transfer pieces of pork from marinade to a paper-towel-lined bowl to absorb most of the moisture. Discard paper towels. Drizzle vegetable oil and a bit more annatto powder on the pork.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Place pieces evenly spaced on a hot grill. Allow meat to sear onto the grate until pieces can be easily turned, 4 or 5 minutes. Turn and grill on the other side another 4 or 5 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 135 to 140 degrees F (63 degrees C). Transfer onto a serving platter and allow meat to rest about 5 minutes before serving.

THAI-STYLE GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• For the sauce: Whisk the granulated sugar, vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, and red pepper flakes together in a bowl; set aside for serving.
• For the pork: Combine the Melt®, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and pepper in a bowl. Combine the marinade and pork in a large zipper-lock bag. Seal the bag tightly, toss to coat the pork, and let the pork marinate in the refrigerator for up to 1 hour.
• Weave 2 pieces of pork onto each skewer.
• For a Charcoal grill: Open the bottom grill vents completely. Light a large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (100 briquettes; 6 quarts). When the coals are hot, pour them in an even layer over the grill. Set the cooking grate in place, cover, and heat the grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
• For a gas grill: Turn all the burners to high, cover, and heat the grill until hot, about 15 minutes. (Adjust the burners as needed to maintain a hot fire.)
• Clean and oil the cooking grate. Place skewers on the grill and cook until the meat is cooked through and lightly charred around the edges, 7 to 10 minutes, flipping the skewers halfway through.
• Transfer the skewers to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes. Remove the meat from the skewers, sprinkle the cilantro leaves over the top, and serve, passing the sauce separately.

GRILLED PORK CHOPS YUCATAN-STYLE

Steps:

• Mix 3/4 cup orange juice and annatto paste. Pour over chops in shallow dish; turn to coat both sides of chops. Refrigerate 1 hour to marinate.
• Meanwhile, mix mayo, chiles and remaining orange juice in large bowl. Add cabbage, onions and radishes; mix lightly. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Heat grill to medium-high heat. Remove chops from marinade; discard marinade. Grill chops 5 to 6 min. on each side or until done (160ºF). Serve topped with avocados, with slaw on the side.