Inspired by Francis Mallmann

Inspired by Francis Mallmann

As I said I am not a chief but in recent years I have discovered a few chiefs who have a great impact on me. One of them is Argentinian Francis Mallmann. His knowledge, understanding and skill how to use fire, open fire and bbq is special and different of traditional cooking by the stove.

This blog is not for not-meat loving people and there is not a recipe in this one. Just technic of cooking.

I tried to copy his skills and honestly for the first time it was not so bed. There is so much room to improve and next time I will try to cook in similar fashion not in Croatian summer, when temperature outside is close to 35-36 C.

One of problem was that after spending few hours by the fire, I smelled like smoked ham and I had to have quick shower to be able to seat with the friends around the table.

This time I used different kitchen utensils. Wire and plyers.

Honestly it looks much easier when Francis is doing it. It took me some time before I managed to place a piece of meat in the wire that was acceptable.

I presasoned meat, 12 hours before with generous amount of salt and pepper. I had a piece of young pig, shoulder of about 3 kg. Using a wire, I suspended a meat above and a side of fire.

By controlling the fire, medium heat, it took me about 3 hours to have meat properly cooked. Nice crust, pink colour inside, no blood and not dry.

About 1hour later I suspended also a pineapple which I served latter sliced.

After suspending a pineapple, close to fire, in hot ash I placed a small pumpkin and left it there.

I removed pineapple and pumpkin about half an hour before I removed a meat. While meat was resting, I did some other cooking.

On the hot metal sheet, I grilled oranges, sliced in halves, removed them and left to rest.

On the same metal sheet, a grilled some jalapenos, and after that some potatoes that I have sliced with mandolin.

Serving was very simple. Meat was sliced in a quite chunky pieces, pineapple sliced and with the hand a squeezed and broke pumpkin. Once pumpkin was open, I removed seeds, and sprinkled over some pumpkin oil.

Everything was on the big serving plates and friend were helping themselves.

For the end I served roasted oranges. I sprinkled some chili powder and some flower of the salt (Fleur de Sel), accompanied with salty caramel ice-cream.

Dobar tek – Bon Appetit