Abanico Ibérico a la Plancha

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy cast-iron plancha or cast-iron skillet, at least 30cm wide
• •Long kitchen tongs
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the cut

   Take the abanico from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking. Remove only the tough silverskin from the underside and leave every seam of creamy fat where it is. Divide along the natural seams into four roughly equal pieces, then pat every surface thoroughly dry. Water cools the iron and gives you grey pork instead of a proper brown crust.

2. 2

   Heat the plancha

   Set a heavy iron plancha or 30cm cast-iron skillet over high heat for a full 5 minutes. Rub the 5ml olive oil over the meat rather than pouring it into the pan. The oil should shimmer the instant the first edge touches the iron. This heat is what lets the marbled surface brown before the thin meat dries.

3. 3

   Sear the first side

   Sprinkle the meat evenly with 5g of the coarse salt immediately before it goes onto the plancha. Lay the pieces flat and press each one with the tongs for just 5 seconds to establish contact. Sear without moving for 60 to 75 seconds, until dark brown patches form and the fat at the edges turns clear and glossy. If your skillet cannot hold all four pieces without crowding, cook two at a time and let the iron recover for 30 seconds between batches.

   Don't keep pressing the meat. That does not make it brown faster; it only pushes the juices onto the iron.
4. 4

   Flip just once

   Turn each piece once and sear the second side for 45 to 60 seconds. Insert an instant-read thermometer horizontally into the thickest part and remove the meat as soon as it reaches 63°C or 145°F. Begin checking after 35 seconds if your pieces are closer to 8mm thick. Don't chase a darker crust once the centre is ready. Abanico forgives many things, but not an extra minute.

5. 5

   Rest and serve

   Rest the meat uncovered on a warm platter for 3 minutes. Serve the pieces whole or cut them across the grain into strips about 2cm wide, then scatter over the remaining 2g coarse salt. Put it on the table at once, with the juices and rendered fat still glistening. It needs no sauce and no marinade.

Chef Tips

• •Ask for abanico by name. It covers the outside of the ribs; secreto lies nearer the shoulder and is thicker. Both are rich cuts, but they are not two names for the same piece.
• •Look for deep rose-coloured meat threaded evenly with creamy white fat. Ibérico identifies the breed, while de bellota identifies an animal finished on acorns. Both cook by this method, though bellota meat has softer fat and a fuller flavour.
• •If there is no fresh Ibérico where you live, use well-marbled pork collar, called cabecero de lomo in Spain. Slice it across the grain to 8-10mm. It will have a firmer bite and less fine marbling, so watch the thermometer closely.
• •For a charcoal barbecue, cook over the hottest clear embers with an empty section of grate beside them. Iberian pork fat can cause flare-ups; move the meat aside if flames touch it, then return it to finish the sear.
• •Abanico is best in the first minutes after cooking. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and keep them for no more than 2 days; eat them cold or warm them only briefly, because a second full cooking leaves this thin cut dry.
• •Serve it with patatas fritas or a plainly dressed green salad. A young Ribera del Guadiana red, poured slightly cool, has enough fruit for the browned pork without covering its flavour.

Advance Preparation

• •Up to 12 hours ahead, remove the tough silverskin, divide the meat into portions, and refrigerate it in a covered tray. Pat it dry again before cooking.
• •Take the meat from the refrigerator 15 minutes before it meets the plancha. Salt it only at the last moment so its surface remains dry.
• •There is no make-ahead cooking and no marinade to prepare. Have the side dishes and serving platter ready before you begin, because the abanico should go straight from its 3-minute rest to the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 120g)