GATHER JOURNAL

Photograph by Bobby Fisher Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero Prop Styling by Sarah Cave


    
Gluttony

Swineapple with Ginger Fried Rice

Mains from Issue 10 – Winter 2017 – Sin

The tradition of stuffing food with other food to gluttonous effect dates back to food orgies during those insatiable Roman times. One crammed concoction was constructed by putting a chicken inside a duck, then a goose, then a pig, then a cow before cooking. Yikes. Our beautiful beast, inspired by a buzzed-about internet recipe attributed to one Josh Bush, stuffs smoked pork loin into a hollowed-out pineapple then swaddles the whole thing in bacon.

serves 4 to 6



Swineapple
  • 1 lb boneless pork loin, cut into 1½ -inch pieces
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 whole pineapple, top and base cut off and reserved, peel discarded
  • ½ lb sliced lean bacon

Fried Rice
  • 3 tsp vegetable oil, divided
  • 2 Tbsp black vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 2 bunches scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and julienned
  • 6 cups cold, cooked rice, preferably a day old

  • 1

    Swineapple: Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in center. Fit a cooling rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.
  • 2

    Season pork with garlic powder, ¾ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add oil and then sear pork until sides are just browned but not cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
  • 3

    Blot pineapple dry with paper towels. Cut around core from both ends with a knife until able to push it out. Discard core. Continue to hollow out pineapple until walls are about 1-inch thick. Reserve scraps.
  • 4

    Fit pork snugly inside pineapple, reserving pieces that don’t fit. Secure pineapple ends with toothpicks, and cover leaves with foil. Lay pineapple on rack. Drape bacon strips over side of pineapple flesh, slightly overlapping, pinning with toothpicks. Reserve any extra bacon.
  • 5

    Roast swineapple until bacon is golden brown, 45-55 minutes. Cool slightly, and then remove all toothpicks before serving with fried rice.
  • 6

    Fried Rice: Chop remaining pork and bacon. Heat 1 tsp oil in a large skillet and add chopped pork. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until fat is rendered. Add vinegar, chopped pineapple scraps, scallion whites, ginger, and garlic, and stir-fry 2-3 minutes. Make a large well in the center of pan to heat remaining 2 tsp oil, then add rice and stir-fry until hot with some crispy bits, about 4 minutes more. Garnish with scallion greens.