Mesquite Grilled Garam Masala Pork Shoulder (燒烤豆科灌木胡荽豬肩肉, Siu1 Haau1 Dau6 Fo1 Gun3 Muk6 Wu4 Seoi1 Zyu1 Gin1 Juk6)

Pork shoulder is the cut of meat chosen for this recipe because of its meat/fat content. Other cuts of pork, such as tenderloin, don’t produce the juiciness that pork shoulder produces after grilling. You could easily use pork rib chops or country-style ribs (which is boneless pork shoulder cut to look like ribs) to produce the same results. You can also use bone-in or boneless pork shoulder. Garam Masala is the primary spice and flavor, which is mixed with a soy-based marinade.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

4	4	Pork shoulder steaks, at least ¾-inch (20 mm.) or greater
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
4 cloves	4 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Garam Masala powder (胡荽, wu4 seoi1)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
½ cup	125 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
½ cup	125 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)

Equipment

		Garlic press
		Tongs and an oil coated paper towel
22.5 in.	57 cm.	Covered charcoal or gas grill (or larger)

Instructions

1. Use sliced pork shoulder steaks at least ¾-inch (20 mm.) thick. Marinate the pork in a covered container for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, Garam Masala powder, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the pork overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
2. Prepare the charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking following the manufacturer’s instructions. Light the charcoal or preheat the gas grill accordingly. Soak the mesquite smoking wood (pecan, oak, or any other wood can be used) for one hour if desired. I use dry and not soaked wood.
3. If using a charcoal grill, arrange the lighted coals on one half of the grill. The side of the grill with the coals (the “hot” side) will be used to grill the pork and the side without the coals (the “cool” side) will be used for smoking the pork. For a gas grill, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to which burners to leave on for indirect cooking. Clean the grill grate and then, using tongs and a paper towel coated with oil, lubricate the grate to prevent the pork from sticking. Put the smoking wood onto the coals or as per the instructions for the gas grill.
4. Place the pork on the cool side of the covered grill for 3-5 minutes. Uncover the grill, turn the pork over, and cook covered for another 3-5 minutes.
5. Uncover the grill and move the pork to the hot side of the grill. Grill the pork uncovered for 2-4 minutes before rotating 90⁰ to produce the grill marks, and grill for another 2-4 minutes. Turn the pork over and repeat the process to produce the grill marks on the other side.
6. Remove the pork from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Be careful not to overcook the pork. The thickness of the pork, the temperature of your fire, and previous experience with your grill will determine the total cooking time for the pork.