I went looking for pork jowl in an attempt to recreate a recent favorite Thai prep, but then I saw Berkshire Kurobuta pork sirloin that looked good and was priced very well, so I picked it up instead.
I think I can get 2-3 different preps out of this piece.
Wondering if I should marinate a whole piece, or slice / cube first.
Current ideas:
(1) Marinate whole piece with Thai or Vietnamese flavors like my original plan for jowl, then reverse sear, broiling at the end
(2) Chinese red-cooked pork or char siu inspired
(3) Spicy bulgogi
(4) Greek souvlaki
The biggest caution here is the fat content. Jowl is fatty and has lots of collagen from the tendons and connective tissue, and the meat is best cooked very long (it’s smoked and sold as seasoning in my corner of the world. Flavoring for beans or greens)
Loin is very lean by comparison and I usually roast it so it stays moist and flavorful. Its really easy to overcook it and make it dry and unpalatable.
I wish more supermarkets here would carry pork shoulder steaks/cutlets. Most are from the loin, which as you mention is terribly lean & therefore prone to be dry AF. In Germany, we called the thinner cutlets “Minutensteaks” for their short cooking time.
I only ever buy pork shoulder or tenderloin — different preps, obvy.
I don’t want to derail this from the sirloin, but I use “country style ribs” when I want shoulder without buying a whole one.
ETA I hope the Korbuta sirloin is more forgiving than the loins I’ve tried, but when I ‘ve done a loin, a “dry brine” helped it remain moist, and once or twice I’ve butterflied and stuffed it.
I had mostly seen it at restaurants until the pandemic. Also called Berkshire.
Nowadays, I see some cuts at local stores (often those focused on Asian products / clientele) at quite variable prices, though usually much less than SRF (and in smaller portions which are better for me).
I think the ways jowl is treated in the American South and in Asia are quite different – at Thai and Korean restaurants, it is a cut that is grilled whole, or in strips, so quite the opposite of a long cook.
(I had not seen jowl available many places until recently – not dissimilar to beef cheeks, given quantity per animal.)
From the pic you posted, country style ribs appear to be the opposite end of the piece from the sirloin.
Having now broken down what I bought, it looks somewhat similar to country ribs I’ve used before – there’s a light part and a dark part, and it’s gently marbled but not fatty like butt / shoulder usually is.
I’ve decided to test three preps
(1) thinly sliced for Viet lemongrass pork (will decide whether to broil or sear in a screaming hot pan to get some caramelization).
(2) A whole piece per the original plan for jowl – marinate in basic Thai seasonings, then reverse sear – think this should prevent overcooking and enable a bit of char at the end. Plus a spicy dipping sauce / jaew later, the way it’s been served at restaurants where I’ve eaten it.
(3) Char siu or red-cooked tbd – I’m going to marinate for char siu, and see how the other two turn out before deciding how to cook it.
(Comments about parts completely different than what I’m trying to use may be interesting discussion though they are not helpful to the OP – but that’s not your intent @shrinkrap, so thank you for trying to help!)
Oops, forgot to take a pic of the piece raw, but yes, it was lightly marbled and looked similar to jowl on the light part. There was also a small leaner pink part under, similar to how country ribs are two toned.
Success with Prep 1!
The Viet marinade flavored the thin-sliced sirloin well and quickly.
I took the easy way out and seared it on a hot pan, which worked well enough.
Very tender cut of meat, not fatty but moist and flavorful.
Will be interesting to see how it fares when not pre-sliced.
I do like loin, but I usually put it in my countertop oven…it has a rotisserie setting and the loin turns out deliciously moist but with a golden crust.
In the upper Midwest we make breaded tenderloin sandwiches. Slices of loin, pounded thin then deep fried…which I realized in adulthood is schnitzel!
