{"id":149,"date":"2012-08-02T07:39:16","date_gmt":"2012-08-02T13:39:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/therealfoodchronicles.com\/?page_id=149"},"modified":"2016-05-02T20:37:35","modified_gmt":"2016-05-03T02:37:35","slug":"sichuan-peppercorns-and-nutmeg-make-for-amazing-spiced-rubbed-roast-pork","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stormysweitzer.com\/recipes\/sichuan-peppercorns-and-nutmeg-make-for-amazing-spiced-rubbed-roast-pork\/","title":{"rendered":"Spiced-rubbed Sichuan Roast Pork"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have a recipe for you.\u00a0 It\u2019s not my own.\u00a0 But it is pretty delicious and inspired by the Sichuan peppers I ran across on my recent trip to China<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sichuan peppers, if you haven\u2019t had them, are an interesting experience.\u00a0 I won\u2019t say interesting flavor, simply because flavor is\u00a0too simple a word for what you feel when you bite into one of the delicate pepper husks.<\/p>\n

Initially, your taste buds struggle to identify what they are tasting.\u00a0 Tangy like green cardamom and lime, but peppery, as well, Sichuan pepper has a flavor all its own.\u00a0 A light chew results in a stronger burst of flavor and an unexpected numbing of the area of your mouth immediately surrounding the peppercorn.<\/p>\n

Eat too much of it and your mouth is overwhelmed by the pungent taste and tingle; no other foods can compete until the sensation dies away and your mouth regains its composure.<\/p>\n

Before we knew its name, we took to calling it \u201cnumb tongue.\u201d\u00a0 It turns out that the Chinese have a very similar nick name for it.<\/p>\n

What exactly is Sichuan Pepper?<\/h3>\n

Sichuan pepper (also called Szechuan pepper) isn\u2019t spicy and it isn\u2019t pepper. \u00a0It is related to the citrus family \u2013 possibly the reason behind its unusual flavor. \u00a0The husk \u2013 which looks like a reddish flower \u2013 is what is eaten, not the bitter seed, which is removed.\u00a0 And, in its ground form, it is one of the five ingredients in Chinese five-spice powder, which adds sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty flavors to a dish.<\/p>\n

\"Dunhuang
Dunhuang markets Sichuan peppers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Toasting it brings out the essential oils and heightens the flavor.<\/p>\n

Adding it to dishes in whole form at the last minute preserves its taste, making it shine as a core ingredient.\u00a0 Grinding it mellows out the numbing effect.<\/p>\n

Blending it with one or more of these other ingredients is delicious: ginger, star anise, black pepper, nutmeg, fennel, cloves, cinnamon, and chilies.<\/p>\n

You may be able to find Sichuan peppercorns at a local Asian market, but Chowhounds<\/a> suggest that for the highest quality, you should purchase them online from Penzey\u2019s<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Beyond the Great Wall: Recipe and Travels in The Other China<\/h3>\n

The only Chinese cookbook with loads of pictures (which is how I prefer cookbooks) at my local library was called Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the Other China<\/a>\u2026the other China just happened to be where we traveled.<\/p>\n

The book \u2013 part travelogue, part recipe and food \u2013 is filled with recipes from an array of China\u2019s ethnic minorities from along the Silk Road, Inner Mongolia, Tibet, and other areas in the far reaches of China.\u00a0 And, it includes numerous recipes that use Sichuan peppercorns.<\/p>\n

The recipe I chose to try?\u00a0 A simple spice-rubbed roast pork with just 6 ingredients. \u00a0I doubled the recipe and it took twice as long to cook, but it was worth the wait. \u00a0The flavors are rich and the spiced pork tasted best right out of the oven, unlike many dishes that taste better the next day.<\/p>\n

Sichuan peppers are so unusual, I\u2019m not sure there is a substitute that would replicate the flavor well.\u00a0 That said, you could try a little ground green cardamom and white or black pepper in this dish to add some tanginess.<\/p>\n

Here goes:<\/p>\n

\"Pan<\/a><\/p>\n

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Pan toast the Sichuan pepper to heighten their flavor.\u00a0Pan toasting the sichuan peppercorns also brings out the essential oils.<\/p>\n

\"add<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Place toasted, whole Sichuan peppercorns, ground nutmeg and black pepper (preferably fresh-ground), and salt into a mortar, spice mill, or food processor.<\/p>\n

\"Grind<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Grind spices together to create your rub.<\/p>\n

\"Rinse<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Rinse and pat the roast dry. Using your fingers, rub the spice blend evenly over the roast.<\/p>\n

\"F<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Break out your bacon grease or lard to help add fat back into a well-trimmed roast. Place roasting pan in oven at 350 and add 2 Tbsp of the fat to the pan to melt it.<\/p>\n

\"Sear<\/p>\n

Place pork roast into hot roast pan to sear. Spoon some of the melted fat over the top and coat the roast evenly.<\/p>\n

\"H<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Return pan to oven and cook until internal temperature reaches between 145 and 160 degrees F (~45-50 min for 1.5 pounds; add time for larger cuts), periodically basting the roast with the fat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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When done, remove pork roast from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Serve pork with your favorite side. Optional: Deglaze the pan with with some rice wine vinegar, dry cooking sherry, broth, or water to make a gravy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n