Sweet and Salty Grilled Pork With Citrus and Herbs Recipe (2024)

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Paully

Do I understand that the cooked pork goes back in the marinade where the uncooked pork was? Is that safe?

Esuzdaly

Paully - nope, half the marinade is reserved for topping the cooked pork and greens.

David

This was excellent. Ideas from others that are good additions:1. Double marinade if using rice noodles so reserved half is larger2. Include basil3. Use a bit of sesame oil on the rice noodles 4. One from me: the marinade already has a lot of lime in it. Grill another orange (so two) instead of another lime for the finish

Melva L

Pork steak: a Midwestern basic food. Here in the Midwest we have the meat cutter slice whole pork shoulders into steaks; freezing what we don't intend to use. We grill with salt and pepper, finishing with a good barbeque sauce at the end. Or we just grill with salt, pepper & beau monde, serving with corn on the cob, potato salad (mayonnaise dressed) and sliced tomatoes. It our favorite summer meal

Su

Equilibrist, I use a version of this dressing (palm sugar instead of brown, sambal definitely not optional) on many, many things and it essentially never goes wrong. I really do think the lighter, sweeter flavor of pork is a better match than heavier, richer beef here -- nearly anything (chicken, most fishes, lamb, broccoli) >> beef -- but you could put that marinade/dressing on a rock and it would still taste good.

Maggie

You can substitute soy sauce -- I really wouldn't leave it out -- but you would be very surprised at the non-fishy flavor of fish sauce. You might buy a small bottle (I like Red Boat brand), and give it a try.

Martin R.

If using a seasoned cast iron pan, I think the steaks should be thinner than 1”. Maybe 1/2 inch and pounded to 1/4 inch. The pan should be very hot and the thin steaks will cook in about 2 minutes. With this marinade, no need to to add oil to the skillet. (Stainless skillet might need thin coat of oil with high smoke point.)

Martin R.

I think you are supposed to cut the steaks into 1/4 inch wide strips. This will make it easy to wrap in lettuce leaves and eat by hand.

Chris

I just made this for dinner and it's SO GOOD. Great Thai inspired dish. We're not great at getting our charcoal grill hot, but it seemed to work out. Definitely get some char on there- it's delicious. I added some chopped peanuts as well- was pretty good but no necessary. Didn't have sambal so I subbed shiracha and that worked well. Our mint plant was trashed so I used basil instead- also worked out well. Going to serve this at our next BBQ and wow our guests!

Eric Phillips

This is a terrific recipe. Fresh and tasty, it was very nice over the cold rice noodles for a summer dinner. Don't skimp on the herbs, and do add basil to the herb salad. It was pictured in the article, but omitted from the recipe. I used Thai basil, but any kind is a nice addition.

Lee

Don't be afraid of fish sauce - the smell is intense - the flavor is subtle and delicious.

jkloza

Can I give this more than 5 stars? One of my favorite Alison Roman recipes so far. Surprisingly complex, bright flavors given how easy this was. We cooked this in a cast iron skillet in 2 batches. High heat with canola oil for 3 1/2 minutes per side and it was cooked perfectly. We will be making this again soon.

Ted

The fish sauce is a critical component to the dish. Leaving it out would take away that umami flavor that you get in the final product. My suggestion is not to smell fish sauce on it's own...ever! It DOES stink then, but when "cut" with the sugar and lime juice, really comes together.

Karen

Supermarket pork butts were all 3+ lbs., so I bought same already cut as "ribs" at 1.6 lbs. Cooking time was closer to 12 minutes than 8. I don't think the cooked pork needs to be sliced 1/4" thick. You could serve the steaks in larger portions, depending on the size of the butt. Also, if you are serving over rice or rice noodles, it would help to double the marinade, reserving half as sauce.

Penni Gladstone

Crazy good. Extremely flavorful. Made it with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. No Chile paste so I used regular chili powder which was great. Used the lettuce I had in the house. Could use one more shallot. Noodles were a big hit. We individually dressed our dishes so it didn't swim in dressing.

Deb

very good and easy - used rice noodles…increased marinade could have used more as dressing…even 2 lbs pork shoulder didn’t seem like quite enough meat with rice noodles, lettuce and 1/2 cup peanuts for 5 adult servings

Heather

Tasty! Things to try for next time: add more garlic to the recipe, use the full 2 tbsp of sambel, and double the marinade time.

Simone

Wildly delicious!

Kathy

This was good, but not quite the wow I was hoping for. I did really enjoy the pork shoulder cooked this way. the marinade from the Food Network chicken satay with spicy Thai Peanut sauce was a much nicer dressing. This needs lots of fresh herbs, including Thai Basil. I also added thinly sliced cucumbers from the garden. Not a bad meal, but I was hoping to serve it to company and I don’t think I will.

farleyface

All I can say is I followed this recipe to the letter with the exception of doubling the marinade. It is so good! My husband was raving that it was the best pork he has had in a long time. He couldn’t stop raving. Served over escarole with rice grits - perfect. Alison Roman never fails!

Robin

I've made this with pork shoulder steaks and pork tenderloin, which was easier to find. Both very good, but I prefer the leaner cut of the pork tenderloin. Agree with the suggestions to double the marinade/dressing.

KathyK

Heavens that was delicious! I subbed chili garlic paste for sambal and garlic (as we had no sambal) and used bone in pork shoulder steaks from the butcher, but otherwise made it as directed. On a charcoal grill, the steaks took about 2 minutes per side. The pork was scrumptious and the combination with rice, lettuce and herbs was even better.

Dan Barwick

I've made this dish seven or eight times - it's wonderful. This dish is that it is further improved by making it into shish kebabs - there is more surface area to grill that way, the marinade has more surface to penetrate, it's easier to portion, and it looks gorgeous on the plate. I cut the meat into approximately 1" cubes, and I don't pack them in on the skewers so the whole surface gets a little char. They're wonderful! (+1 on the other comments in favor of the orange - I think it makes it!)

Bonnie

I didn't have sambal Chile paste so used 1 tablespoon of sriracha instead. I used arugula and herb salad mix from Trader Joe's instead of Boston lettuce, mint and cilantro as directed. This was sooooo good.

Pamela McCormick

Made marinade for pork tenderloin. Very tastySeared in cast iron then cooked at 350 for 25”

marci

Here in rural Montana we are blessed to be able to buy, and have custom-processed, a whole whey-finished organic hog every year. Needless-to-say our family knows great pork!Made this recipe tonight verbatim and I have to say it’s truly the best pork steak I’ve EVER had!!Marinated a few hours in the fridge, then cooked two 3/4” bone-in pork steaks on high on our gas grill. Approximately 3-4 minutes each side to a medium-well finish. OMG, so tender & savory!!Six stars in my book!

Jennifer

1” is not thick. Any thicker and it will take far longer to get to 145. On high heat it jumps from 145 to 160 in seconds/minutes so keep close eye and probably pull before 145.

Elizabeth

Oh, this is a GREAT marinade. I loved this recipe. I will make it again and again.

ellie

This was delicious! I recommend that you make sure the pork “steaks” are consistently 1” thick. Don’t worry if you have little pieces as a result of having a consistent thickness. Those little bits get to be extra charred and yummy! I agree with other posts to use the orange as well as the lime. Also, I didn’t think that the shallot added anything to the flavor of the dish. Finally - it’s a lot easier than it looks at first! Try it!!!

cw

Very good - used farro instead of rice and 2 T goganko instead of Samal. Could have used 3 T.

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Sweet and Salty Grilled Pork With Citrus and Herbs Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What does sugar and salt do to pork? ›

It's a natural tenderizer.

Carla recommends using 1 teaspoon sugar with 2 teaspoons kosher salt in her recipe, to season 1 pound of pork rib chops—you can scale up or down accordingly as needed.

What is the best herb to use with pork? ›

What Herbs Go Best with Pork? Pork is a very mild meat, like chicken, so it goes well with a wide variety of herbs and spices. The blend I used in this recipe is a classic mix of basil, thyme, and rosemary that can be used as an all-purpose meat seasoning (chicken, beef, anything).

What spice brings out the flavor of pork? ›

What seasonings go well with pork? The sweetness of brown sugar is a great balance to the natural savoriness of pork. Cumin, thyme, oregano, and mustard all mix beautifully with pork as well. And chili powder and paprika both add spice without overpowering.

Should I salt pork before grilling? ›

Season Your Meat

While you can choose any herbs and spices you like, don't skimp on the salt! Pre-salting your pork will draw internal water to the surface. The liquid will then dissolve the salt and reabsorb back into the pork, allowing the salt to evenly distribute throughout the cut.

Should salt pork be rinsed before cooking? ›

Sometimes consumers rinse or soak country ham, bacon or salt pork because they think it reduces the sodium or salt enough to allow these products to be eaten on a sodium-restricted diet. However, very little salt is removed by washing, rinsing or soaking a meat product and doing so is not recommended.

How to make meat taste sweet? ›

White sugar for marinades and dressings. It disappears quickly into the dish you're preparing, and adds sweetness without overpowering or affecting the color. Honey for subtle sweetness. A little goes a long way.

How do you make pork more flavorful? ›

8 oz
  1. Keep the Fat. The fat on pork is great for flavor, so definitely don't trim it off. ...
  2. Buy Bone-In. Similarly to not removing the fat, cooking your pork still on the bone will also help keep it from drying out. ...
  3. Embrace Marinades. ...
  4. Consider Brining. ...
  5. Use a Meat Thermometer. ...
  6. Let it Rest.

What makes pork taste better? ›

You wouldn't necessarily just season pork with cumin, but mixing it with other seasonings like ginger and lime can enhance the flavour significantly. We'd recommend using ground cumin in recipes like our Pork Kebabs Marinated In Orange & Cumin, where the cumin can bring out the citrus and pork flavours well.

What spices tenderize pork? ›

Apply dry rub and refrigerate the pork for at least 8 hours.

Create your dry rub by combining 2 tsp (6 g) of salt, 1 tsp (2 g) of dried herbs, and ½ tsp (1 g) of black pepper. Blot each side of the pork chops so they're totally dry, and then coat the meat with the seasoning.

What flavors compliment pork? ›

Rosemary, thyme, sage, bay leaves, chives, parsley, coriander, mint, fennel, oregano, basil and even lemongrass are all flavours that can be added to pork dishes.

What fruits go best with pork? ›

Pork is friendly to fruits like apples, cranberries, strawberries, currants, dried cherries, dried figs, mangoes, quince, plums, pineapple, pears, peaches, and apricots. See how lemon brightens up pork in Citrus Spiced Roasted Pork Loin Roast.

What are the tips for grilling pork? ›

Grilling Pork Tips

To prevent pork from sticking to the grate, scrub grates clean and coat with vegetable oil or a nonstick vegetable oil spray prior to using. Do not use sharp utensils that may pierce the pork when flipping, as piercing allows flavor-filled juices to escape. Use spatulas or tongs for turning.

Can you put too much salt on pork? ›

However, its flavor-boosting power comes with a catch — it's easy to go overboard with a dry rub and accidentally make your pork a bit too salty. Don't feel too down, though. It happens to the best of us. Fortunately, one solution for saving your pork dinner is surprisingly simple: Soak it in a water bath!

What is the formula for brine? ›

Basic Brine

Place that volume of water in a container large enough to hold the brine and the meat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you used and mix until the salt is completely dissolved. For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of salt.

What does sugar and salt do to meat? ›

When grilled, the sugar caramelizes and produces the ultimate charred crust, and the salt does its job seasoning by the meat.

Should you season pork with salt? ›

On their own, pork chops are a lean, bland cut of meat. Seasoning with salt before cooking is an essential step in bringing out the meat's natural flavors. Season generously, and remember that even a very short brine (just 30 minutes) will improve the taste and texture of the meat.

Does salt toughen pork? ›

Though many cookbooks rightly warn you never salt meat or poultry right before you put it in the oven– because the salt will draw out the juices and make it dry and tough–the opposite occurs when you salt well in advance of cooking.

How does salt cure pork? ›

Salt (sodium chloride) is the primary ingredient used in meat curing. Removal of water and addition of salt to meat creates a solute-rich environment where osmotic pressure draws water out of microorganisms, slowing down their growth.

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