Grilled Iberico Pork Lagrimas with Harissa & Chickpea Fries
Makes 6 Servings
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WINE PAIRING | |
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Mencía (pronounced men-THEE-ah) from Spain or Portugal |
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Lagrimas means “teardrops” and these ribbons of intercostal meat cut from Iberico pork ribs are so full of flavor they could prompt tears of rapture – or it may be the spicy harissa sauce making your eyes water. We’ve paired these meaty morsels with tender chickpea fries—what the French call panisse and the Italians call socca or farinata. To round out the meal, we suggest a hearty salad of wilted spinach and frisée tangy with capers and topped with a poached egg.
INGREDIENTS
- 2lbs Iberico Pork Lagrimas
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2-3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh marjoram
- For the chickpea fries:
- 2 1/4 cups chickpea flour
- 2 tsp olive oil, plus more to grease the pan
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 4 cups water, divided
- 1 1/2 cups olive oil for frying
- Flaky salt, such as Maldon, for finishing
- For the harissa sauce:
- 4 red bell peppers, cut into chunks, seeds and membrane removed
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp chili flake
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 2-3 tsp kosher salt
- For the salad:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 bunch of frisée, leaves separated
- 5oz baby spinach
- 1 tbsp capers
- 1/4 cup pickled red onions
- 6 eggs, poached
DIRECTIONS
- Prepare the Meat:
1
Combine the lagrimas, olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, and marjoram in large bowl. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours.
- Prepare the Chickpea Batter:
2
Generously coat an 8 or 9-inch square shallow pan with olive oil and set aside.
3
In a pot over low-medium heat, whisk together the chickpea flour, olive oil, salt and 2 cups of water until smooth. Slowly blend in another 2 cups of water and continue cooking for 10 minutes, or until the batter becomes very sticky and thick like mashed potatoes. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and cool completely. (Batter can be made a day ahead up to this point and refrigerated with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface of the batter.) When ready to fry, unmold the cooled batter and cut it into strips.
- Prepare the Harissa Sauce:
4
In a blender, mix all the ingredients for the sauce until smooth. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often, until it’s reduced to a thick sauce. Set aside.
- When Ready to Eat:
5
Cook the meat. Heat a grill or a grill pan until smoking hot. Remove the meat from the marinade and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until well caramelized. Transfer to a clean plate to rest and keep warm.
6
Fry the chickpea logs. Heat 1 ½ cups of olive oil a large, deep skillet heat over medium-high heat to 350°F. Working in batches, add the chilled chickpea fries to the oil and cook, flipping once, until golden-brown all over, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with kosher salt or flaky salt. (The fries are best served right away, but you can keep them warm in a 200°F oven while you finish cooking the remaining batches.)
7
Assemble the salad. Heat the oil in a wide sauté pan over low heat and cook the garlic until just golden, about one minute. Off the heat, add the spinach, frisée, capers, and red onions to the garlic oil. Toss quickly until the greens are about half wilted. Serve immediately, topped with a warm poached egg, alongside the meat, the chickpea fries, and the harissa sauce.