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how would you prepare this piece of pork?


pstock

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Hmmm, looks like I cannot post a photo, which, still being worth a thousand words, would have made this easier...

[ ahh, I learned that you can post a photo:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=mo...md=si&img=84408 ]

I picked up a beautiful looking piece of pork yesterday at a local Chinese supermarket (they move a LOT of pork there.) but I have no clue how best to prepare it. Let me try to describe it.

It looks basically like the outer layer of a fresh ham. Each piece (I got two) measures about 12inches in length, 2 inches thick and about 2 inches wide. There is a half inch layer of fat and then the skin.

It's about the size of a piece of pork belly (each piece is 2-2.5 lbs) but with only a single thick layer of fat; the mean is otherwise quite lean.

Normally I would score and salt the skin and roast it to get a nice crackling crust. But I am afraid that with so little meat, it would dry out before the fat was rendered and the skin crispy.

Has anyone seen this cut before or does anyone have any suggestions as to how to handle it?

Peter

Edited by pstock (log)
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I have not had this cut before but it looks like it would make great carnitas. There is a great thread how to prepare them. If you have not tried carnitas, you should.

**************************************************

Ah, it's been way too long since I did a butt. - Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"

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One summers evening drunk to hell, I sat there nearly lifeless…Warren

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judging from the rind and the moderate marbling, i'd guess it's part of a boned-out picnic shoulder. should be great roasted--pierce the rind in several places or score it, roast at 300 degrees to about 170-175 (because it's a moderately fatty cut, you can push it further). You might want to raise the temp to 400 when the pork hits 165. That'll crisp the skin nicely.

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boy, maybe. but that's the leanest piece of pork belly i've ever seen, both in terms of marbling and the layer of fat under the rind. normally, there's at least a good half-inch of fat under the rind and frequently a second layer that runs laterally through the meat. in addition, you can usually see more striations of fat through the muscle.

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excellent input, thank you.

It is not pork belly--that was a couple of slots over in the meat counter.

I will look up those preparations unfamiliar to me (char sui, carnitas??) for another time. I had forgotten about the brining option. No time for that for this go round I am afraid. I am going to just try a straight roast and see what happens.

Peter

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It looks like leg to me, too. If you can't roll & tie it, maybe cube it, skewer it and grill ? That way you can enjoy the crackling and share out the heat to keep the meat juicy, too.

It looks good :smile:

Edited by Blether (log)

QUIET!  People are trying to pontificate.

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