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Food52’s Porchetta-Style Pork Kebabs with White Beans

Serves 4

Traditional Italian porchetta — pork flavored with garlic and herbs — is a showstopper, a massive rolled roast that’s a long-cooked affair. It’s not gonna happen on a weeknight. But these pretty kebabs made with pork tenderloin and rosemary branches create similar flavors in a fraction of the time. After the meat is charred over high heat, it finishes cooking over white beans that capture the delicious drippings.

Ingredients:

8 sturdy rosemary sprigs, ideally about 8 inches long

1 pork tenderloin

2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves

2 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Two 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained

3 or 4 fresh bay leaves, torn

Olive oil, for drizzling and brushing

2 large lemons

Directions:

1. Remove all the rosemary leaves from the branches except 2 inches  at the top of each. With a sharp knife, cut the leafless end of each branch at an angle to make a point, which will make it easier to skewer the pork. Coarsely chop the rosemary leaves you removed from the branches.
2. Cut the pork into 1½-to 2-inch pieces and place in a bowl. Season with 2 tablespoons of the chopped rosemary, the thyme, garlic and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate at room temperature while you prepare the grill.
3. In an aluminum drip pan, combine the beans, bay leaves and a generous drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking and build a medium-high fire, or heat a gas grill to high. Carefully wipe the preheated grill grates with a lightly oiled paper towel. Using a grill brush, scrape the grill grates clean, then carefully wipe with a lightly oiled towel again.
5. Skewer the pieces of pork with the rosemary sprigs. Avoid packing them too tightly or they won’t cook evenly. When you’re ready to grill, remove the cooking grate, place the pan of beans alongside the coals, and replace the cooking grate. (For a gas grill, turn off 1 burner for indirect cooking and place the filled drip pan over the unlit burner). Brush the pork skewers with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the pork kebabs over direct heat until nicely browned on each side, 12 to 14 minutes total.
6. Move the kebabs over the drip pan, brush with olive oil again, close the grill, and cook until the pork is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet to rest. Remove the beans from the heat, add the zest from 1 lemon, and toss to combine. Halve the lemons crosswise and grill until nicely charred, 1 to 2 minutes. Place beans on serving platter, top with pork skewers and charred lemon halves, and serve.

— Reprinted with permission from Food52 Any Night Grilling: 60 Ways to Fire Up Dinner (and More) by Paula Disbrowe, copyright © 2018. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.