Barbecue Pork with Blistered Chile–Pumpkin Seed Salsa
With Memorial Day passed, grilling season is in full swing, and we're celebrating with deliciously skewered pork with a unique spicy salsa. Barbecue Pork with Blistered Chile-Pumpkin Seed Salsa will water your mouth before you even start. The tangy, refreshing taste of the lime juice blended with the smoky flavor of the charred pork will have you hooked. Add this dish to your grilling repertoire because it's going to be a favorite through the summer!
This recipe calls for thin slices of pork shoulder rubbed with a mixture of brown sugar, mustard powder, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. If you're too busy to slice your pork shoulder, have the butcher do it for you. They'll create thin, even pieces that save time on the grill and cook uniformly. Skewered and grilled over both direct and indirect heat, this pork finishes caramelized and charred to perfection.
The salsa is a lovely combination of blistered onion and jalapenos on the grill, mixed with cilantro, chopped roasted pumpkin seeds, olive oil, lime juice, and salt. Fragrant, smoky, and citrusy, the salsa beautifully complements the sweet and spicy pork strips. This dish is a great way to show off your mad grilling skills to friends, family, or neighbors with a fiery charisma!
Serves 4
Barbecue Pork with Blistered Chile–Pumpkin Seed Salsa Ingredients
Salsa
- ¼ large white onion
- 2 jalapeños
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup finely chopped unsalted, roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Kosher salt
Pork and Assembly
- 1¼ pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt)
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons mustard powder
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Vegetable oil (for the grill)
- Kosher salt
Special Equipment
- Eight 8–12-inch-long metal skewers
Barbecue Pork with Blistered Chile–Pumpkin Seed Salsa Directions
Salsa
- Cook onion and jalapeños over a gas burner, often turning, until charred and beginning to soften, about 4 minutes (alternatively, our stainless steel griddle or cook in a hot, dry medium skillet, preferably cast iron). Let cool.
- Finely chop the onion. Remove seeds from chiles and finely chop. Toss onion, chiles, cilantro, pumpkin seeds, oil, and lime juice in a small bowl. Season with salt.
Do Ahead: Salsa can be made one day ahead and then covered and chilled until serving.
Pork and Assembly
- Freeze pork until very firm around the edges, 20–30 minutes. Slice ¼" thick, then cut crosswise into 1½"–2" strips if needed. Cover and chill until ready to grill.
- Mix brown sugar, mustard powder, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl to combine.
- Prepare a grill for medium-high, indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side of grill; for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off). Oil the grates.
- Thread pork onto 6–8 skewers, folding and piling onto itself to form a compact shape. Season with salt, then sprinkle generously with brown sugar mixture in several passes, allowing a few minutes between each for the rub to adhere.
- Grill over direct heat, turning every minute or so until browned and beginning to char in spots, about 4 minutes.
- Move to the cooler side of the grill and continue to grill until cooked through, about 5 minutes longer.
- Serve pork topped with salsa.
Do Ahead: Dry rub can be made one month ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Taken from bonappetit.com https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/barbecue-pork-blistered-chile-pumpkin-seed-salsa
