Balinese pork

Recipe : Balinese pork on the rotisserie
Adapted from The Barbecue Bible

1 boneless pork shoulder, about 2 pounds
2 large shallots, peeled
4 chilies
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
2 stalks of lemongrass, trimmed and finely chopped
3/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
juice of 2 limes
1/2 tbsp brown or cane sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp vegetable oil

Either pound all the ingredients except the pork and oil together in a pestle and mortar or simply whizz together in a food processor to create a paste.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium to high heat and add the spice paste, stirring well and frying until fragrant and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Remove any string from the pork and open up, cutting a deep groove into the side to create a pocket.

Spread half of the spice paste over the inside of the pork and then tie back up with butcher's string at 1 inch intervals. Spread the remaining half spice paste over the outside.

For us, it was simply then a matter of skewering onto the rotisserie and cooking for 1.5 hours, letting the back burner cook the pork until glistening and golden brown. You can, however, also cook this directly on the grill for the same length of time, turning frequently, or, even in an oven, which I suspect would need longer cooking.

The combination of marinade and rotisserie produces meat that is highly flavoured and very succulent. Neil was incredibly surprised at how how juicy the meat was the next day even.  If cooking directly on the grill or in an oven, basting is very important to retain moisture. Once the meat is cooked, remove, allow to rest for as much as half an hour and carve thinly.