Grilled Pork Neck with Spices

Preparing the meat

1. At home, if you cannot use hot coals and a grill, it is best to fry pork neck. The pieces should be cut across the grain and have streaks of fat. The pieces can be up to 4 cm thick, so the meat cooks through well. One piece weighs 250-300 g. Do not use “warm” pork that was slaughtered just that day, as it can cause trouble.

2. Clean the pork neck pieces of any bone splinters left after the carcass was chopped, rinse and pat dry with paper towels.

   

3. Put the prepared pieces of meat on a plate. Sprinkle the pork on both sides with ground coriander and ground black pepper (even better, grind a few peppercorns fresh), and season with a pinch of coarse salt. There is no need to pound the meat or marinate it in a liquid marinade. Leave the meat to “dry” marinate in a cool place for up to 1 hour.

   

Grilling

1. Heat the electric grill to maximum power. This is important so a seared crust forms quickly and keeps the juices inside the meat. Wipe the pieces of meat with a paper towel to remove any large bits of pepper and coriander, and brush with a small amount of vegetable oil, just a trace of fat to keep the meat from sticking to the rack right after it goes on. Pork is fatty by itself and quickly renders its own fat, which protects the meat.

2. Put the pieces of meat on the grill, making sure it is well heated. Move the pieces from side to side so the meat does not stick to the rack. The pork heats up very quickly and the fat starts to render.

   

4. Grill the pork at maximum power. The total cooking time depends on the thickness of the pieces: 20-40 mins, on average half an hour. So the meat cooks evenly, turn the pork neck pieces every 5 mins and watch for doneness.

   

   This way of cooking prevents the pork from burning and lets it cook through well, so the grilled meat is sure to be juicy and tasty. Cook until fully done: the surface has a seared crust and the juices running out are clear, with no pink. If you like meat “rare”, do not do that with pork, as it may have unpleasant consequences. Also, watch that the fat dripping onto the heating element does not catch fire, and beware of splatters.

   

Serving

1. Transfer the grilled meat to plates while it is still barely sizzling. I suggest sprinkling each piece of pork neck with a pinch of coarsely ground dried hot chili pepper.

2. Mixed greens and sliced fresh vegetables make an ideal side dish, along with, if you like, a sauce for shashlik or grilled meat, such as tkemali, cornelian cherry sauce or tomato sauce, whose heat you can adjust to taste.

   

   Tasty grilled pork is an extremely simple way to cook meat at home without going on a picnic. The advantage of grilling is that you do not need any cooking fat, which lowers the calorie content of the dish. This method also needs no special preparation and not much time.