Smoked Pork Loin

Sweet Potato Purée, Bourbon Gel, Maple Meringue, Pecan Picada

Chef Cam Floyd of Sweet Auburn BBQ | Atlanta

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Adapted by StarChefs | May 2023

INGREDIENTS

Roasted Pork Loin:
Pork loin
Sweet Auburn BBQ butter
Thyme sprigs

Brown Butter:
1 pound butter
1 cup milk

Sweet Potato Purée:
2 pounds sweet potatoes

Pistachio Picada:
2 ounces garlic
2 ounces shallots
6 sprigs thyme
Sweet Auburn BBQ butter
6 ounces butter
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Maple Meringue:
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup maple syrup 
4 large egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Bourbon Gel:
2 cups bourbon (we use Maker’s Mark)
½ cup sugar
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon whole coriander 
1 teaspoon pectin

METHOD

For the Roasted Pork Loin:
Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare a cold smoker with applewood chips. Cold smoke pork 5 minutes. Transfer to a pan over high heat and sear pork on all sides. Basted with butter and fresh thyme sprigs. Transfer to the oven and roast until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 155°F. Let rest. 

For the Brown Butter:
Heat oven to 350°F. In a pan over medium heat, brown butter. Stir in milk. Once milk solids are separated and browned, strain the mixture, reserving solids and liquid separately. Transfer liquid to an airtight container and refrigerate. Dehydrate solids and reserve.

For the Sweet Potato Purée:
Place sweet potatoes on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Roast until tender. Transfer roasted sweet potatoes to a Vitamix blender. Add Brown Butter and purée until smooth. Season with salt and reserve. 

For the Pistachio Picada: 
In a pan over medium flame, melt butter. Add garlic, shallots, and thyme and sweat until alliums are translucent. Stir in breadcrumbs and continue cooking until caramelized. Fold in pecans and season with salt. Remove from pan and transfer to a nonreactive container. Let cool. Once cooled, fold in ¼ cup reserved milk solids. Set aside.

For the Maple Meringue:
In a saucepan over medium flame, heat sugar and maple syrup, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, add egg whites and cream of tartar. While mixing, slowly pour in syrup. Whip until a meringue-consistency is achieved. Let cool. Transfer meringue to a piping bag and refrigerate.

For the Bourbon Gel:
In a saucepot over medium heat, combine bourbon, sugar, star anise, cinnamon, and coriander, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in pectin. Set aside.

To Assemble and Serve:
In a small saucepan, warm Sweet Potato Purée. To the bottom of a serving plate, smear a line of warmed Sweet Potato Purée. Slice Roasted Pork Loin into medallions and shingle over top. Place 1 teaspoon Pistachio Picada on either side of the pork. Pipe 1 dollop of Maple Meringue next to each Pistachio Picada. Using a blow torch, toast Maple Meringue. Serve.

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