Chef Tim Palmer
The Fairmont Winnipeg
“The Mulefoot offers a darker meat than your regular commodity pork and is much richer and flavourful meat,” says Chef Tim Palmer.
Ingredients
Pork Brine
2 L apple juice
5 cups salt
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 Tbsp mustard seeds
2 Tbsp juniper berries
2 Tbsp black peppercorns
8 cloves
15 cloves of garlic, crushed
6 L water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 bunch fresh rosemary
1 bunch fresh thyme
Rack of Pork
1 whole pork rack,
cut into chops
1 L pork brine
canola oil
2 tsp whole butter
2 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Potato and Brown Butter Crunch
3 large sweet potatoes,
peeled and diced
6 Tbsp butter
2 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Pork Brine
- Place all ingredients except fresh herbs into a large pot, bring to boil.
- Once boiling add rosemary and thyme, allow brine to cool.
Rack of Pork
- Place chops in brine for 3 hrs. Remove, dry each chop individually.
- Add oil to cover a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season all sides of the pork with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Once pan is hot place pork into the pan, away from you to avoid oil splatter.
- Allow pork to sear, 3-4 mins on each side.
- Place in oven for 7-10 mins (for med) and 10-13 mins (for med well).
- Once pork is cooked to your liking add whole butter and thyme to same pan as pork, spoon butter and thyme over meat.
- Let pork rest for 5 mins before serving over sweet potato and brown butter crunch.
Sweet Potato and Brown Butter Crunch
- Place sweet potato in large pot, add water to cover. Bring to simmer and cook until sweet potato is fork tender. Drain water, cool.
- In a small pan on medium-high heat add butter. Allow to melt and start to froth, when butter begins to change colour to nutty colour remove from heat. Add leaves of fresh thyme.
- Add browned butter and thyme to sweet potato. Crush with fork until desired consistency is achieved. Season with salt and pepper.
Yield 8 servings