Pan-Seared Ibérico Pork
By Culiora
Seared Ibérico pork cuts cooked quickly in a smoking hot pan with garlic and fresh rosemary, finished with flaky sea salt. Tender, deeply marbled, and nutty, it shows off Spain's most prized acorn-fed pork at its very best.
- Servings: 4
- Prep time: 10 min
- Cook time: 20 min
- Total time: 30 min
Ingredients
- 600 g Ibérico pork pluma or secreto, brought to room temperature
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt (such as Maldon) for finishing
Instructions
- Remove the Ibérico pork from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature. Pat completely dry with kitchen paper. Season generously with fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper on both sides.
- Heat a large heavy cast-iron skillet over high heat until it begins to smoke lightly, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan lightly.
- Carefully lay the pork pieces into the hot skillet. Add the crushed garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs to the oil around the edges of the meat. Sear undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes until a deep, dark golden-brown crust forms.
- Turn the meat over. Tilt the pan slightly and use a spoon to baste the rendered fat, infused with garlic and rosemary, continuously over the pork for another 2 minutes. Ibérico pork is best enjoyed medium-rare to medium (an internal temperature of 58–60°C).
- Transfer the pork to a warm wooden board or plate. Let it rest undisturbed for 5 minutes so the juices redistribute evenly throughout the muscle fibres.
- Slice the pork against the grain into 1 cm thick strips. Scatter generously with flaky sea salt and serve immediately.