A BEAUTIFUL CUT OF PORK WITH THE CRUNCHIEST OF CRACKLING, SERVED WITH POTATOES THAT HAVE BEEN DRENCHED IN ITS JUICES

Serves 4-6 with leftovers

• EGG set up: Indirect rotisserie, then direct rotisserie
• Recommended charcoal: Maple
• EGG target temperature: 180C-200C
• Cooking time: 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes, or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 65C-70C

Ingredients

FOR THE PORK LOIN

• 2 whole cooking apples
• 6-8 bone-in pork loin, chined and French trimmed
• Rapeseed oil
• Sea salt

FOR THE POTATOES

• 2kg potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
• 3 whole cooking apples
• 3 bulbs of fennel, halved lengthways
• 1 onion, roughly diced
• Rapeseed oil
• Sea salt
• Good quality cider

FOR THE SAUCE

• 200g butter
• Brown sugar

OVERVIEW

A pork loin, with its thick carapace of beautiful white fat, is perfect for cooking on a spit. That steady rotation allows it to constantly baste itself, keeping the meat juicy and resulting in the crunchiest of crackling. By cooking indirectly with a pan of potatoes, fennel, onions and apples underneath the Rotisserie, your side dish and sauce will come steeped in the flavours of the pork. You can always add some direct heat for a while if the crackling needs and extra blast.

SET UP YOUR EGG

Set up your EGG for indirect rotisserie cooking, with the rotisserie ring in place and the motor unit plugged in. Load and light the EGG for rotisserie cooking. Once up to temperature, place the Multi-Level Grid upside down, with a Baking Stone on top.

Pat the joint dry. With a sharp knife, score the skin lightly to a pattern of your choosing.

Remove the top fork from the spit. Push the spit through one of the cooking apples and thread it down to the bottom fork. Push the spit into the thickest part of the pork joint and thread it until the pork sits snuggly next to the apple and is skewered onto the longest spikes of the bottom fork. Thread the second whole cooking apple onto the top of the pork. Put the top fork back onto the spit and push it through the second apple, and onto the pork. Make sure the ingredients are all in the centre of the spit so it can turn in the rotation grooves. Tighten the wing screws.

METHOD

In a Drip Pan, add the apples, fennel, onion and potatoes. Coat with olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt. Place the tray on top of the Baking Stone to capture all of those delicious juices from the pork.

Burp and open the Dome, insert the spit into the motor and switch on the Rotisserie. As it rotates, generously and evenly sprinkle sea salt all over the pork.

Carefully pour half a bottle of cider into the Drip Pan (and a glass for yourself!) While the pork is cooking, keep an eye on your vegetables. If they start to dry out, add some more cider or water.

A little tip here: if you are struggling to achieve crisp crackling, remove the Drip Pan and Baking Stone for around 20  minutes to cook directly. You can return them afterwards if needed.

Once the pork has reached an internal temperature of 65C-70C, carefully remove it from the spit, wrap it in foil and leave it to rest for 20 minutes.

To make your sauce, take the apples and fennel out of the Drip Pan, leaving the potatoes behind. Remove any skins and seeds, roughly chop and add to a pan along with butter and brown sugar to taste. Mix together. Place the pans of sauce and potatoes back on the EGG to keep them warm.

After the pork has rested for around 20 minutes, start to slice it up. Serve with the sticky potatoes and the apple and fennel sauce on the side.