Recently, I went to France to test drive some porcelain cookware. I wanted to see how it handled my favorite cooking method — grilling!
Recently, I went to France to test drive some porcelain cookware. I wanted to see how it handled my favorite cooking method — grilling!
For inspiration, I headed to the famed indoor food market, Les Halles de Lyon-Paul Bocuse. The meat was displayed like jewels and treated as such. After speaking with a butcher, I settled on a beautiful piece of pork. It was long and oval with a thin fat cap on top. Perfect for grill-braising. In the U.S., this cut is sold as a pork roast or a pork center loin roast. You also can use a traditional pork loin, or a crown roast of pork, which is simply a bone-in pork loin.
Whatever you buy, try to get a piece of pork that still has a thin layer of fat on the top. This will help keep the lean meat moist during cooking, as well as add flavor.
As I tested recipes and cookware, my goal was to keep things simple. I started by placing shallots on the bottom of the dish to elevate the meat, like an edible roasting rack. This offered the added bonus that the meat produced its own sauce during cooking. Beer was my choice of braising liquid, as I like the bold, yeasty flavor. But you could use wine and/or chicken broth, or even apple cider. Just remember that the braising liquid is a key flavor ingredient, so it will alter the taste of the dish.
This very simple recipe is soul satisfying and the combination of herbs de Provence, shallots and beer tastes far more complex than the simple combination suggests.