Pluma Ibrico with Meyer Lemon Recipe

Pluma Ibrico with Meyer Lemon

Recipe provided by Lorena Garcia

• Difficulty Level: Intermediate
• Servings: 4 to 6
• Total Time: 3 hr 50 min (including chilling time)
• Active Prep Time: 1 hr 20 min

Living in Miami, I prefer grilling outdoors as my cooking technique. This pork cut is exceptionally tender and bursting with flavor; its marbling grills beautifully. It's comparable to a prime churrasco steak, but in pork form.

Ingredients

For the Pluma:

• 6 Meyer lemons (4 sliced, 2 halved)
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4 pounds Ibrico Pluma pork

Escabeche Liquid:

• 2 cups rice wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups jalapeo chiles, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/2 cup red onion slices, 1/4-inch thick
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 5 whole cloves
• 2 large crushed garlic cloves
• 1 bay leaf

Escabeche Vegetable Ribbons:

• 2 cups thinly sliced tricolor carrot ribbons (use a vegetable peeler)
• 1 cup celery leaves
• 1 cup thinly sliced cauliflower florets
• 1 cup thinly sliced tricolor baby bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Guasacaca Sauce:

• 2 ripe Haas avocados, roughly chopped
• 2 medium garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 large jalapeo chile, chopped
• 1 serrano chile, chopped
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
• 3/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare the pluma by mixing the sliced lemons, thyme, olive oil, salt, black pepper, and garlic in a bowl. Add the pork to this marinade, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
2. Heat your grill to high.
3. Take the pluma out of the marinade and let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Place the pork on the grill and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 to 145F, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Grill the halved Meyer lemons alongside until they turn golden, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Let the meat rest for 5 minutes, then slice diagonally.
4. For the escabeche liquid, combine the rice wine vinegar, jalapeos, red onions, sugar, salt, oregano, cloves, garlic, bay leaf, and 2 cups water in a 3-quart pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool completely before use.
5. To prepare the vegetable ribbons, soak the carrots, celery leaves, cauliflower, and bell peppers in ice water for at least 20 minutes or until ready to serve. Drain and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and 2 ounces of the escabeche liquid in a bowl. Serve immediately and reserve the remaining escabeche liquid for later use.
6. For the guasacaca sauce, blend the avocados, garlic, jalapeos, serrano chile, onion, green bell pepper, cilantro, parsley, olive oil, white vinegar, lime juice, salt, and pepper until smooth. Chill until needed.
7. Serve the sliced pluma on a large platter alongside the escabeche vegetable ribbons and guasacaca sauce, garnished with the grilled Meyer lemons.