Pork Tomahawk Spit-Roast

I had been trying to come up with something truly original for a collaboration with KUDU Grills, brainstorming ways to cook a full rack of pork ribs over an open fire. It was a challenge, but then I remembered a trick from Nashville’s Pelican and Pig restaurant – brushing their ribeye steaks with a black garlic purée. I knew I had to give it a shot with a pork tomahawk spit-roast.

To create the molasses black garlic purée, I mixed together crushed black garlic, ginger, thyme, and salt. Then, I stirred in whole grain mustard, balsamic vinegar, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and molasses. I slathered this mixture all over the roast and placed it on the rotisserie rod. As it cooked, I prepared a mustard bourbon basting sauce by melting butter in a cast iron skillet over a bed of embers. I mixed in whole grain mustard, bourbon, and salt, then brushed the roast with the sauce a few times to keep it moist. Once it reached an internal temperature of 110°F, I took it off the fire to rest for 20-30 minutes.

When it was time to eat, I grilled the pork steaks on a hot grate, brushing them with the remaining black garlic purée. The result was a mouthwatering, flavorful roast that my team and I couldn’t get enough of. To round out the meal, I served it with a wood fired chicory salad – grilled chicories, red onion, cherry tomatoes, pancetta, and rocket salad, all drizzled with honey mustard dressing and chives. The smoky pork and crisp salad were the perfect pair.

Ingredients

Preparation

Pork Tomahawk Spit Roast

1. Build a fire in the KUDU: empty a full chimney of hot coals and stack 2 to 3 logs on top of the coals.
2. Using a mortar and pestle or a food processor, crush or pulse the black garlic, ginger, thyme and salt to make a paste. Add the whole grain mustard, balsamic vinegar, black pepper, red peppers flakes and molasses and mix to combine.
3. Reserve about 3 tbsp of the black garlic purée for later and spread the rest evenly on the tomahawk pork roast. Thread pork roast onto the rotisserie rod and secure with the adjustable rotisserie forks.
4. Insert the end of the rod into the motor socket and turn on the rotisserie. Cook the roast until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 110°F.
5. Halfway through cooking, place a cast iron skillet with 1/2 cup butter on a bed of embers. Once the butter is completely melted, add the whole grain mustard, bourbon and salt. Brush the roast with the bourbon mustard sauce occasionally to keep it moist.
6. Once the roast has reached an internal temperature of 110°F, remove from heat and let rest at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. Install the stainless steel cooking grate and position it close to the fire.
7. Cut the roast into steaks, slicing between the bones, then brush the steaks on both sides with the remaining black garlic purée.
8. Grill the tomahawk pork steaks on the hot grate until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F, about 1 to 3 minutes per side. Serve with Wood Fired Chicory Salad.

Wood Fired Chicory Salad

1. Slice the chicories and red onion in half, then drizzle all vegetables except the rocket salad with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Starting with the onions a few minutes ahead, grill the onions, chicories, cherry tomatoes and pancetta. Cook until the outside of the vegetables are charred, the onions are slightly soft and the pancetta or bacon is crisp.
3. Cut the grilled onions and chicories into chunks and dice the grilled pancetta or bacon. Combine with the tomatoes and rocket salad then drizzle with honey mustard dressing and chives. Season with black pepper to taste.