Kyle McCaffery has been cooking professionally for 15 years, spending the majority of his restaurant years at Tribute in Farmington, Forte in Birmingham and Nomi in Northville; however, for the last eight years, he has been at Plum Market where he said he has progressed further than he has ever imagined.
“We have wonderful partnerships with companies like Niman Ranch, Snake River Farms, Zingerman’s and many others that represent the same qualities and standards in food that we do,” McCaffery said. “I have been the Chef de Cuisine at each of our four Michigan large format stores and, for the last 1.5 years, have been overseeing the Plum Market Licensing locations, including Detroit Metro Airport, Oakland University, The Henry Ford and Butler University.”
With Father’s Day approaching, McCaffery is sharing his Peruvian Marinated Pork Loin with Apple Chimichurri recipe, an entree he thought would be different, easy to make and may appeal to those looking for something lighter to eat.
“It will satisfy people looking for a delicious cut of meat but isn’t an overly rich meal to eat,” McCaffery explained. “It works as a dish for the whole family to eat and enjoy together, which is the best gift for any father and his family on Father’s Day.”
McCaffery said the kurobuta pork loins are from a certain breed of pork, which comes from the same lineage of Black Berkshire pigs that have been raised for many years. The difference in meat products from these pigs compared to others is that they are bred to have incredible fat marbling throughout the meat, much like wagyu beef.
As for pairings, McCaffery believes this dish would be best with a Malbec as it would complement the flavors very well. As for side dishes, he said the dish screams for something starchy to balance it out, such as garlic roasted yukon potatoes or even a nice potato salad. Roasted baby carrots or grilled asparagus would be great vegetable choices to serve, as well.
Pork Marinade
● 2 kurobuta bone-in pork loin, approximately ½ lb each
● ½ cup cilantro leaves
● Juice of one half lemon
● Juice of one half lime
● 3 garlic cloves
● 2 tbsp champagne vinegar
● 1 tsp cumin
● 1 tsp kosher salt
● ½ tsp paprika
● ½ tsp black pepper
● ½ cup olive oil
Directions
Place pork loins in a reclosable plastic bag, approximately one gallon size. Using a small
food processor or hand blender, blend the remaining ingredients together to create the
marinade. Pour the marinade into the bag with the pork loins, squeeze out the
remaining air and seal the bag. Refrigerate for a minimum of two hours. While this is
marinating, you can prep the chimichurri.
To grill the pork loin, it is important to have the grill preheated to 500 degrees for the best
results. Remove the pork loin from the marinade and wipe off the excess marinade from them.
Place the pork loin on the grill for two minutes without moving to get the best grill marks. Rotate them 90 degrees and cook for another two minutes. Flip pork loin to the other side and follow the same set of instructions to get those perfect diamond grill marks on each side.
Leave the pork loins on the grill until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from the heat and let rest on a tray for 10 minutes. This resting period will let the meat relax and the juices disperse through the meat evenly for perfect, juicy pork loin. The loins will continue to cook and the final temperature will be closer to 140 degrees, for a perfectly cooked kurobuta pork loin.
Apple Chimichurri
● ½ cup parsley, minced
● ¼ cup cilantro leaves, minced
● 1 green apple, cut into ¼” cubes
● Zest of 1 lime
● Zest of 1 lemon
● Zest of 1 orange
● 4 cloves of garlic, minced
● 1 tbsp orange juice, fresh squeezed
● 1 tbsp lime juice, fresh squeezed
● 1 tsp red pepper flake
● 1 tsp salt
● 1 tsp champagne vinegar
Directions
Prep all ingredients as described and mix together with a spoon. This can be made up to two hours ahead of time. When finished, place in a covered bowl or container and refrigerate until serving.
When the pork loins are cooked, spoon the Apple Chimichurri liberally over them, letting the flavors seep together, creating the perfect balance of fresh and savory flavors in this dish.