Brine-Cured Pork Kabobs with Jalapeños and Pineapple

Name: Brine-Cured Pork Kabobs with Jalapeños and Pineapple
Yield: makes 8
Ingredients: 6 cups cold water; 1/4 cup sugar; 3 tablespoons coarse salt, plus more for seasoning; 2 bay leaves; 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns; 1 tablespoon allspice berries; 3 cloves garlic, chopped; 1 3/4 pounds pork loin, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes; 1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks; 16 medium jalapeño or other hot peppers, cut in half lengthwise; Spicy Molasses Glaze (recipe follows); 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons molasses; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 serrano chiles or jalapeño peppers, minced; 1 piece (1 inch) fresh ginger, peeled and grated; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1/2 tablespoon coarse salt; Pinch of freshly ground black pepper; (makes about 1 cup)

January 26, 2012

Brine-curing the pork makes it soft, tender, and juicy. The pork is cut into small pieces, so it only needs to be cured for 4 hours.

Recipe information

Yield
makes 8

Ingredients

6 cups cold water

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons coarse salt, plus more for seasoning

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

1 tablespoon allspice berries

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 3/4 pounds pork loin, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks

16 medium jalapeño or other hot peppers, cut in half lengthwise

Spicy Molasses Glaze (recipe follows)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Spicy Molasses Glaze

2 tablespoons molasses

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 serrano chiles or jalapeño peppers, minced

1 piece (1 inch) fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tablespoon coarse salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

(makes about 1 cup)

Preparation

Step 1
Combine the water, sugar, salt, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice, and garlic in a nonreactive bowl. Add the pork, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain, and set aside.
Step 2
Thread 4 cubes of pork, alternating with pineapple chunks and pepper halves, onto 8 skewers. Brush with glaze, and season with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Arrange the skewers, off direct heat, on a hot grill. Grill, rotating the skewers and brushing with remaining glaze and olive oil to prevent sticking as necessary, until the pork is cooked through but juicy in the center, about 12 minutes, depending on the heat of the grill. The pineapples and peppers should be soft and charred.
Spicy Molasses Glaze
Step 4
Whisk the molasses, garlic, chiles, ginger, red pepper flakes, and oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Keep sealed at room temperature up to 1 week.

The cookbook cover with a blue background and fine typeface.

Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group. Buy the full book from Amazon.

Recipe information

Ingredients

Spicy Molasses Glaze

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Spicy Molasses Glaze

Step 4

Recipe notes