The Cooking Fire
We are going to need to hold a reasonable heat for a few hours so build a good fire base. Aim for around FIREMARK 4 (a distance from the fire where you can comfortably hold your hand for 4 seconds before it gets too hot), this will take 2-3 hours to spit roast. If your joint has crackling on and you want to crisp it up read our Guide to Perfect Crackling for more details but in brief we we build the fire up slightly higher initially so the skin drys and gets bubbled for the first 30 minutes before letting the fire settle and roasting on a lower heat. A note to those beach BBQing and using driftwood, select dry and natural wood avoiding man made cuts that may be creosoted or paint covered.Double Fire- Piri Piri Spit Roast Pork
First part is we need the pork cooked well, by this I mean all the way through, not overdone or dry in anyway. To achieve this the rotisserie was cooked on a medium fire cooking heat (a distance where you are able to hold hand comfortably for 4 seconds) for 2 hours. For the last 30 minutes I stepped the rotisserie to a high heat position and kept an eye on the crackling. For crackling that crackles it’s simply a case a cooking the fat out the skin, though watching the skin does not burn as it blisters away in the high heat. Piri Piri Spit Roast Pork – There are many ways to make a piri piri marinade, I have tried to keep this one as authentic as a possible but there is also a quite nod to the flavours of that famous piri piri chicken house. Based in Scotland it is only right to use whiskey (lavishly opting for some peaty Laphroig). Adding alcohol does make a big difference, especially post marinade and cooked flavour- its helps the chilli colors dissolve out and leaves an almost cask aged background note to the flavour with out having to leave your sauce for weeks to mature. I used a cider vinegar, a red wine vinegar works, but the main thing is it has that acidic background note to interplay with that that smokey caramelised pork roast chilli flavour…. Shivers. Delicious.
As I emerged cold from the sea a waft of the caremalised Piri Piri Spit Spit Roast pork hit me...
- 1 kg Pork Loin Joint With scored skin
- 8 Red Chillies
- 100 ml Whiskey
- 300 ml Olive Oil
- 200 ml Red wine vinegar
- 1 tbspn Sea Salt
-
Prepare the Piri Piri marinade by adding all ingredients to a blender and mixing. I used whole chillies, seeds and all, if you wish a less fiery piri piri use fewer chillies.
-
Place Pork joint in sealed bag or food box in the marinade and place in fridge. Over night is best but if you cannot wait at least a couple of hours.
-
Build up your fire, we will need it to burn at a medium heat for 2-3 hours so have so find plenty of (drift) wood.
-
Slide spit through the center of the joint, ensuring an even balance. Secure with the spit forks.
-
Locate a position where you can hold your hand by the fire comfortably for 4 seconds, Firemark 4, set up the portable rotisserie so the pork turns at this point.
-
Insert Spit to motor and turn on and consider a swim!
-
If a crackling joint, build up the fire for the initial 30 minutes (Firemark 2) to dry the skin and start the crackling magic.
-
Keep at a medium heat for 2-3 hours or until cooked through, 71C/160F will be a medium finish. Also remember rostisserie roasting is very forgiving and meat friendly so joint should be beautifully moist with a crackling mahogany exterior.
Serving suggestion, contrast the sliced Hot Piri Piri pork with a cooling slaw in a bun.
