Smoked Pineapple Pork

Ingredients:
6 lb boneless pork roast (if it is held together by string, leave it on)
9 pineapple slices


for the dry rub:
1/4 cup sea salt
1/4 cup Hawaiian guava wood smoked sea salt*
1 tablespoon seven spice powder (shichimi togarashi)
1 tablespoon demerara sugar

mesquite grilling wood chips

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together the dry rub ingredients. Rub into the pork. Attach the pineapple slices to all sides with toothpicks. Arrange the coals around a rectangular foil pan filled with water. Place the pork over the pan on the grill. Place a foil packet of wood chips on the coals.



Vent/leave the lid askew until it really starts smoking. Then cover. Cook, adding loose coals and wood chips every 30 minutes, until fully cooked. If it looks like it is cooking unevenly, turn it when you add the chips and charcoal.



To keep the smoke/low heat going, occasionally vent until it gets smoky then fully cover again. Refill the pan with water as needed. After the pork has nearly reached a safe internal temperature, remove the cover and briefly cook on each side on direct heat (ie. not over the pan of water but to the side). Allow to sit on a platter under a foil tent for 5 minutes before slicing. Take care to remove all of the toothpicks prior to serving.




*easily found online or just use all plain sea salt

My thoughts:

OMG this pork was so good. Insanely juicy, smoky and flavorful. It does take a while (about 2 hours, depending on the thickness of the roast) but it is well worth it. The indirect heating method is great because the meat cooks slowly and has time to take on the smoky flavor. There is also little risk of flare-ups because the roast is over the water the whole time. We made this (and the spam & beans and broccoli slaw and an not-as-yet posted ice box pie--the perfect hands free meal) when we had guests over (a delightful fellow food blogger and her husband) and it was easy to sit outside and talk and occasionally check the grill. It was pretty hands off. So don't be daunted by the adding of charcoal and wood chips part of the recipe, it truly is dead simple.