"Looking for a good excuse to use your grill’s rotisserie accessory? Then give this bone-in pork loin roast recipe a spin! Slow-cooking a rack of pork over the coals of a kamado will produce incredibly tender and juicy results every time, but the addition of an orange pepper jelly glaze introduces a flavor profile that blends beautifully with the saltiness of pork."
4–5 pounds rack of pork ribs (ask your butcher for a bone-in pork loin roast, frenched and with the chine bone removed)
1 pound bacon (rendered fat for basting, cooked bacon for garnish)
For Dry Brine:
2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp Italian herb blend
2 tsp garlic powder
Bourbon Orange Pepper Jelly Glaze:
½ cup orange marmalade
Juice and zest of 1 orange
4 serrano peppers (diced with seeds removed)
½ tsp kosher salt
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
¼ cup bourbon
For Garnish:
Chopped, cooked bacon bits
1 orange (sliced into wedges)
4 sprigs rosemary
- Blend together all dry brine ingredients in a bowl.
- Season all sides of the rib roast with the dry brine mixture.
- Truss your pork roast in between each bone, pulling each butcher’s knot tight so the roast forms a more uniform shape to cook more evenly.
- Place your roast in the fridge and allow the dry brine to absorb overnight. This will result in a juicy roast that browns on the outside when cooked.
- In a saucepan over medium heat on a stove or grill, combine marmalade, orange juice, serrano peppers, salt, and apple cider vinegar to get your glaze started. (You can prepare the glaze either ahead of time or while your rib roast cooks. Prepping beforehand might be the best option because it gives the flavors more time to meld.)
- Reduce for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add bourbon and orange zest, simmer for a couple minutes, then turn off the heat.
- If prepared beforehand, store the glaze in the fridge until you’re ready to apply it to the roast.
- When it’s time to cook the roast, place the rotisserie on your grill and center the forks over the coals. This way, you know the rack of pork will be centered above the fire when put it on the rotisserie rod.
- Light a chimney starter full of charcoal, then pour it over a bed of unlit coals in your kamado.
- Preheat the grill to 325ºF.
- Secure the bone-in pork loin roast to rotisserie, tightening the forks with pliers to be sure they’re strongly fastened to the meat. Let it sit out to remove the chill while your grill preheats.
- Place a wireless temperature probe in the thickest part of the roast. Be careful not to insert the probe where it touches the metal rotisserie rod or forks because this will throw off the temperature readouts.
- Place the rotisserie roast on the grill. Turn the motor on and close the lid.
- Cook down your bacon to render its fat for basting. Reserve the cooked bacon and chop into bits for garnishing.
- After cooking the rib roast for 30 minutes, open the grill lid and baste the meat with bacon fat. The drippings will cause some flames to leap up and kiss the roast, which will further brown the meat’s exterior. (Always use caution when opening a kamado lid. You must “burp,” or gradually open, a kamado to prevent a sudden rush of air from igniting a large, rolling fireball known as “flashback.”)
- Cook the pork roast for about 10 minutes with the lid up, until the exterior is golden brown.
- Throw a couple handfuls of applewood chips over the coals, then close the lid.
- Close the top and bottom vents until they’re almost completely shut. This lowers the fire, creating flavorful smoke instead.
- Smoke the roast for about 10 minutes, or until your internal temperature is approaching 130 degrees.
- Carefully open the lid, glaze your roast, and continue cooking until its internal temperature reaches 140 degrees. Make sure to save about half of the glaze for topping the finished dish.
- Remove the bone-in roast from the grill, tent it with foil, and allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
- Slice between the bones to carve bone-in pork chops for serving.
- Garnish the chops with a spoonful of the pepper jelly glaze and a sprinkle of bacon bits.
- Garnish the serving dish with orange wedges and rosemary sprigs for presentation, then enjoy!