Most of what, if not eveything, you wanted to know about smoking, hogging and flavoring meat, shall be found in Smokin’ in the Boys’ Room: Southern Recipes from the Winningest Woman in Barbecue (Andrews McMeel. April 8, 2014) by Memphis Barbecue Co Melissa Cookston.
Smoke and chutney is on the menu for this first excerpt.
Smoked Pork Loin with Blackberry Chutney
Serves 3 to 4
I spent many a summer day crawling through weeds and fighting off chiggers and snakes just to pick a bucket of luscious blackberries. Blackberries are the flavor of my youth, and I still try to sneak out in June, when the berries are at their plumpest and juiciest, and pick a few to make into cobblers and jellies. This chutney uses blackberries to bring a rich sweetness and beautiful contrast to the pork.
Blackberry Chutney
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 jalapeos, finely diced (seeds removed for a milder chutney)
1 pound fresh blackberries
⅓ cup sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Pork Loin
1 (3 to 4-pound) boneless pork loin
3 tablespoons Grill Seasoning
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
To make the chutney, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the jalapeño and blackberries and cook for 4 minutes. Add the sugar and vinegar and bring to a boil, then decrease the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You’ll serve it hot here, but it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and reheated for serving.
Prepare a smoker to cook at 250°F with cherry wood. Rinse the pork loin and trim off the silverskin and excess fat. Sprinkle with the Grill Seasoning, slather with the mustard, and massage it into the loin.
Place the loin in the smoker and cook for 2 hours or until the internal temperature registers 150°F on a meat thermometer. Remove from the smoker, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, slice into 1-inch chops and top each with a tablespoon of hot chutney.
(* Recipe from Smokin’ in the Boys’ Room: Southern Recipes from the Winningest Woman in Barbecue by Melissa Cookston / Andrews McMeel Publishing, LCC 2014, Photography by Angie Mosier)