Phil's International Flair | Seasoned Cooking

Welcome to Seasoned Cooking and to Phil's International Flair!

With warm weather upon us, it's time to move the cooking outdoors. One of my favorites to prepare is roast pork on the grill. However, there are a few tricks to make a really good pork roast on the grill.

Now, on to the recipe! Be well, and good eating!

Roast Pork

The first thing to consider in preparing a pork roast for cooking are the seasonings. You can use any of the commercially available spice rubs for this task, or simply make your own. I simply apply salt, pepper, dried oregano, paprika and dried thyme to the roast. You can either mix these ingredients together or apply them independently to the roast.
Equally important is the type of wood you use for the fire as this wood will produce smoke to also season the roast. I prefer to use oak and dried corn cobs to for the cooking process. I recommend that hickory be used sparingly to avoid imparting a bitter flavor to the meat. Mesquite charcoal is also a good choice for the fire. Apple wood is also a good choice of flavor for pork roast.

You may select any type of pork roast for this recipe, but the shoulder roast seems to produce a better final product.

1 whole pork roast, 4 to 5 lbs or larger
Spice rub (see above)

Prepare a fire in a covered grill like a Weber kettle or other type. Once the coals are ready for cooking, move all of the coals to one side of the grill. Place the seasoned roast on the other side of the grill (not over direct heat). Place corn cobs, oak bark or other material on top of the coals to produce smoke and cover the grill, allowing some ventilation to keep the fire burning and the smoke circulating. A tin of water placed on the grill over the heat will add steam to the process and help the heat penetrate the roast.

Cook the roast in this fashion for about 45 minutes per lb. of meat. Check the meat after every hour to make sure it is cooking evenly and that the fire is still in good shape. Add more wood seasoning for smoke, or charcoal for heat if necessary. When the roast has cooked for the proper amount if time, remove from the heat and allow to rest for about 20 minutes.

Don't be surprised if, when you slice into the roast, the meat is pink (like ham). This is normal for this type of cooking process. You may use the leftover meat for a variety of other dishes such as tacos, pork sandwiches or an appetizer tray.

Enjoy!

Yields: 8 servings
Preparation Time: 3 hours