Last weekend my cousin Phil and I were cooking together as part of our “marketing” work. Tough gig, I know... One of the items we had was a Mangalitsa pork sirloin. The whole experience solidifies for me why I believe that the pork sirloin is one of the highest values we offer at Farm Field Table. Why is this cut not being eaten/sold/enjoyed everywhere!? In addition to being super delicious and very tender, sirloin is also very affordable. We easily fed 4 adults and 3 children with a 2.76 lb sirloin and had leftovers. Our entire dinner cost was under $5 per person and Phil had all of the ingredients on hand-- That’s less than the cost of your favorite fast food joint.
We took a bit of inspiration from ‘mojo’ sauce for the marinade, smoked it over pecan and cherry wood, and served it with lemon/cilantro rice and a simple pineapple salsa. However you decide to season/cook your sirloin, just keep it low and slow, cook to medium or medium well, and slice it thinly. I'll apologize now for not snagging a picture. We ate it too quickly...
Mojo Marinated Pork Sirloin
Time: Active prep time:15-30 minutes. Passive time: up to 72 hours.
Marinade:
- 3 Mandarin oranges, sliced with peel on
- 9 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1.5 Tablespoons sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Sea Salt
- 1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Oregano, minced or 1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
- ¼ Cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
Place oranges and salt into a bowl and crush with the back of a wooden spoon or other utensil. Add all other ingredients and stir well.
Process:
- Score the fat cap of the sirloin down to the lean.
- Mix all ingredients well, pour over sirloin in a ziplock bag.
- Massage the marinade into every nook and cranny. Squeeze out as much air as possible prior to sealing. Marinade overnight.
- Pull Sirloin from the marinade and allow it to air dry in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
- Smoke with a 50/50 blend of pecan and cherry wood at 225-250 degrees Fahrenheit until you’ve reached an internal temperature of 138 degrees. Approx. 2-3 hours.
- Gently tent with foil and let rest for at least 15 minutes prior to slicing thinly against the grain.
Note: If you haven’t developed much of a crust, throw the sirloin under a low broiler with the fat side up until nicely rendered, brown, and crispy.
