Ceafă de Porc Marinată
Ceafă de Porc Marinată·(chah-fuh deh pork mah-ree-nah-tuh)
Sunday Grătar: The Romanian Backyard BBQ
Walk through any Romanian neighborhood on a Sunday and the air is thick with the smoky, garlicky perfume of a backyard grătar. The undisputed king of that grill is ceafă de porc, heavily marbled cuts of pork neck that sear into juicy, crusty perfection. In the States, true pork neck steaks are scarce, but slicing a boneless Boston butt yields the exact same rich, forgiving bite. The real grandmother's secret is cimbru—summer savory—a peppery herb routinely mistranslated as thyme, which provides the unmistakable, nostalgic backbone of a proper Romanian feast.
Before you start
Prick the meat to help the marinade penetrate.
Poke shallow holes into both sides of the pork steaks with a fork.
Mix the baiț.
Whisk the oil, wine, mustard, garlic, summer savory, paprika, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl or zip-top bag.
Marinate the pork.
Massage the marinade deeply into the steaks, seal, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 12. Do not exceed 24 hours, or the acid will begin to make the meat mushy.
Ingredients
- boneless pork shoulder2 lb
- sunflower oil3 tbsp
- dry white wine2 tbsp
- Dijon mustard1 tbsp
- garlic5 med cloves
- dried summer savory1 tbsp
- sweet paprika1 tbsp
- coarse kosher salt1 1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Temper the meat.
Remove the pork from the fridge 30 to 45 minutes before cooking to take the chill off, preventing the meat fibers from seizing up on the hot grill.
- 02
Preheat the grill.
Get an outdoor grill or a heavy cast-iron skillet roaring hot over medium-high heat, lightly oiling the grates or pan with a neutral high-smoke-point oil.
- 03
Wipe away excess moisture.
Just before grilling, lightly pat the steaks with a paper towel to remove the wet marinade so the meat sears beautifully rather than steaming.
- 04
Sear and flip exactly once.
Place the steaks on the heat and leave them completely undisturbed for 6 to 7 minutes to build a caramelized crust, then flip once and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
- 05
Rest before serving.
Transfer the steaks to a platter, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes to redistribute the juices.
Notes
The savory substitution.
If you cannot source summer savory, mix 2 teaspoons of dried thyme with 1 teaspoon of dried oregano to mimic its sweet, peppery profile.
Indoor grilling.
If cooking indoors on a cast-iron skillet, add a pinch of smoked paprika to the marinade to replicate the flavor of backyard charcoal.
Finding the right cut.
If you have an Asian market nearby, you can often find anatomically accurate pork collar or neck steaks sold for Korean BBQ.
From Cook Romanian in America.