Pork in the kettle braai

The guard of honour is one of my favourite ways of impressing guests. It may seem like a lot of work, but it really is very simple. Normally it consists of two rib racks slotted into each other so that it looks like a guard of honour with swords crossed – but I only use one, because it is an enormous cut of meat.

SERVES10-12

> 1 x 10-bone pork loin rack, French-trimmed

> 500 g coarse salt

> charcoal for your kettle braai

> 2 onions, sliced

> 1 garlic bulb, halved

> 2 celery stalks, sliced

> 4 bay leaves

> 1 litre chicken stock

> 500 m canola oil

> mustard, to serve

Twenty-four hours before you braai Place coarse salt in a dish that will fit in your fridge and that is large enough for the loin rack to rest on. Boil a kettle of water and pour boiling water over the skin side of the rack. Using kitchen paper, thoroughly pat the skin dry. Place on coarse salt, skin side down, and refrigerate overnight – this helps to ensure a crispy skin. Ready to braai Get coals ready in your kettle braai. Indirect heat is required here, so place the coals in a circle around the base of the kettle. Place onion, garlic, celery, bay leaves and stock in the roasting tray of the kettle braai and place the roasting rack on top; the pork mustn’t lie in the liquid. Lift loin rack from salt and wipe salt from skin. Pat skin dry once more. Place pork on roasting rack, skin side up. Place in kettle braai and cover, with the lid vents halfway open. Braai for 4 hours at about 140˚C, replenishing the coals from time to time. (Alternatively, roast the pork in the oven if you like.) Once pork is done, remove from kettle braai and discard liquid in roasting tray. Now crisp the skin: Heat canola oil until very hot (on the stovetop will do), just below smoking point. With pork resting on roasting rack, spoon hot oil over skin – it should puff up. Serve pork with mustard.