Fiesta barbecue rancho-style - includes recipes - California hacienda cookery - Cover Story

Sunset, July, 1999 by Linda Lau Anusasananan

NOTES: Up to 1 day ahead, marinate pork.

MAKES: 8 to 10 servings

1 boned center-cut pork loin(3 lb.), fat-trimmed

10 cloves garlic, peeled 2 cups orange juice

1/3 cup canned chipotle chilies, including sauce

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves or dried oregano

1 tablespoon salad oil

Oregano sprigs (optional)

Orange wedges

Salt and pepper

1. Rinse pork; pat dry. Cut garlic into 1/2-inch slices. Cut 1/2-inch slits all over meat; insert garlic in them. Place meat in a 1-gallon heavy plastic food bag.

2. In a blender, whirl orange juice, chilies with sauce, chopped oregano, and oil until smooth. Pour over pork, seal bag, and turn to coat. Set bag in a bowl. Chill at least 4 hours or up to 1 day, turning occasionally.

3. Prepare barbecue. If using charcoal briquets, mound and ignite 60 briquets on the firegrate of a barbecue with a lid. When briquets are dotted with gray ash, in 15 to 20 minutes, push equal amounts to opposite sides of firegrate. Add 5 more briquets now, and every 30 minutes of cooking, to each mound of coals.

If using a gas barbecue, turn heat to high and close lid for 10 minutes. Adjust burners for indirect cooking (no heat down center) and keep on high. Set a drip pan on firegrate between coals or burners. Set barbecue grill in place.

4. Lift pork from marinade and lay on grill, not over heat. Cover barbecue open vents for charcoal. During the first hour, baste meat with marinade occasionally Cook pork until a thermometer reaches 155 [degrees] in center of thickest part, 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours. Discard remaining marinade.

5. Transfer pork to a platter, keep warm, and let rest about 10 minutes. Garnish with oregano sprigs and orange wedges. Cut meat into thin slices, squeeze juice from orange wedges over slices, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Per serving: 232 cal., 35% (82 cal.) from fat; 31 g protein; 9.1 g fat (3.1 g sat.); 4.4 g carbo (0.2 g fiber); 97 mg sodium; 84 mg chol.

Herbed Beef Tri-Tip Roast

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour, plus at least 1 hour to marinate

NOTES: Up to 5 hours ahead, start meat preparation.

MAKES: 8 to 10 servings

1 beef tri-tip (about 2 1/2 lb.), fat-trimmed

3 or 4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon dried Italian herb blend or herbes de Provence blend

1 cup beer or apple juice

Salt and pepper

1. Rinse meat and pat dry. Cut 1/2-inch-wide slits all over roast. Cut garlic into 1/2-inch slices and tuck into meat slits. Rub meat with herbs. Place in 1-gallon heavy plastic food bag, add beer, and seal bag. Set in a bowl and chill at least 1 hour, or up to 4 hours; turn over occasionally.

2. Lift meat from marinade. Barbecue as directed for chipotle pork roast (page 104, steps 3 and 4), basting with marinade occasionally during the first 30 minutes. Cook beef until a thermometer inserted in the center of thickest part reaches 135 [degrees] for medium-rare, 35 to 40 minutes. Discard remaining marinade.

3. Transfer beef to platter or board, keep warm, and let rest about 10 minutes. Cut meat into thin slices; add salt and pepper to taste.