Moody's Bistro & Lounge 10007 Bridge Street
Truckee, CA 9616
Reservations: (530) 587-8688
Smoked Pork Loin from Mark Estee's Pork PlatterMark EsteeMoody's Bistro and Lounge
Truckee, CA
Serves 8
1 Niman Ranch Boneless Pork Loin, about 2 lbs
2 quart water
6 ounces salt
2 ounces brown sugar
1 cup apple cider
1 apple, chopped
2 cinnamon sticks, whole
2 star anise, whole
1 Tbsp fennel seed
2 Earl Grey teabags (optional)
Place pork in non-reactive bowl. Mix all ingredients except pork and teabags and stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour over pork. Brine in refrigerator for 24-36 hours, then pour off brine and dry the loin.
Cooking options:
Cold smoke: soak teabags, add to wood used for smoking, finish roast in 350 degree oven till internal temperature reaches 145 degrees
Hot smoke: soak teabags, add to wood used for smoking, cook in smoker till internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Oven roast (without smoking): roast in 350 degree oven till temperature reaches 145 degrees
Mark Estee
Chef/Partner
Moody's Bistro
Truckee, CA
Moody's Bistro is a contemporary American restaurant in the foothills of California's High Sierra. The clientele combines visitors and locals drawn by the
"mountain deco" atmosphere, world class dining, and live jazz at the lounge next door. Mark's menu emphasizes fresh seasonal ingredients, grown locally when possible, and lots of Niman Ranch meat.
Mark first tasted Niman Ranch bacon when he was a line cook early in his career. It was so good he assumed he'd never be able to afford it. Now, Niman Ranch beef, pork and lamb is delivered to his door several times a week, brought up from Sacramento. His customers love the flavor and love to spend their dollars on things that are sustainable.
"Niman Ranch is the natural industry standard. I have other producers knocking on my door every day but Niman Ranch has the market cornered. It's what my customers expect. The beef has a richer flavor because it's not rushed to market. Pork tastes the way it should taste." Mark thrives on adventurous cooking and one of his favorite dishes is the pork platter (shown at right), featuring
"head to tail" cooking with 6 different cuts of pork from smoked baby ribs to chilled pork shoulder to crispy trotters.
His advice for the home chef:
"Think outside the box. You already know how to make a great tenderloin. Now, try a flank steak or skirt steak or onglet. Cook, slice and serve it properly. It just makes cooking more fun to try new things."