Overview
A pork loin, with its thick carapace of beautiful white fat, is perfect for cooking on a spit. That steady rotation allows it to constantly baste itself, keeping the meat juicy and resulting in the crunchiest of crackling. By cooking indirectly with a pan of potatoes, fennel, onions and apples underneath the Rotisserie, your side dish and sauce will come steeped in the flavours of the pork. You can always add some direct heat for a while if the crackling needs an extra blast.
Set up your EGG
Set up your EGG for indirect rotisserie cooking, with the rotisserie ring in place and the motor unit plugged in. Load and light the EGG for rotisserie cooking. Once up to temperature, place the Multi-Level Grid upside down, with a Baking Stone on top.
Pat the joint dry. With a sharp knife, score the skin lightly to a pattern of your choosing.
Remove the top fork from the spit. Push the spit through one of the cooking apples and thread it down to the bottom fork. Push the spit into the thickest part of the pork joint and thread it until the pork sits snuggly next to the apple and is skewered onto the longest spikes of the bottom fork. Thread the second whole cooking apple onto the top of the pork. Put the top fork back on the spit and push it through the second apple, into the pork. Make sure the ingredients are all in the centre of the spit so it can turn in the rotation grooves. Tighten the wing screws.
Method
In a Drip Pan, add the apples, fennel, onion and potatoes. Coat with olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt. Place the tray on top of the Baking Stone to capture all those delicious juices from the pork.
Burp and open the Dome, insert the spit into the motor and switch on the Rotisserie. As it rotates, generously and evenly sprinkle sea salt all over the pork.
Carefully pour half a bottle of cider into the Drip Pan (and a glass for yourself!) While the pork is cooking, keep an eye on your vegetables. If they start to dry out, add some more cider or water.
A little tip here: if you are struggling to achieve crisp crackling, remove the Drip Pan and Baking Stone for around 20 minutes to cook directly. You can return them afterwards if needed.
Once the pork has reached an internal temperature of 65˚C-70˚C, carefully remove it from the spit, wrap it in foil and leave it to rest for 20 minutes.
To make your sauce, take the apples and fennel out of the Drip Pan, leaving the potatoes behind. Remove any skin and seeds, roughly chop and add to a pan along with butter and brown sugar to taste. Mix together. Place the pans of sauce and potatoes back on the EGG to keep them warm.
After the pork has rested for around 20 minutes, start to slice it up. Serve with the sticky potatoes and the apple and fennel sauce on the side.
