Destination
Rio de Janeiro
The story
Lombo missô is the crown jewel of São Paulo's Japanese-Brazilian pantry: pork loin cured overnight in a paste of white miso, ginger, sake and mirin, then slow-roasted until glossy on the outside and juicy in the middle. Sliced thin, plated with rice and pickled vegetables. Ordered at every bar in Liberdade, the Japanese neighbourhood built by the immigrants who arrived in São Paulo from Kobe starting in 1908.
Method
In a bowl, whisk together the miso, sake, mirin, sugar, ginger, garlic and sesame oil until smooth.
Place the pork loin in a shallow dish. Spread the marinade all over, coating every side generously. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours, ideally 24. Turn the loin once halfway through.
Take the pork out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking. Cold meat doesn't roast evenly.
Heat the oven to 180°C (355°F). Wipe the excess miso off the loin with a spatula (leave a thin layer coating the meat). Reserve the scraped marinade for basting.
Warm a heavy oven-proof pan over medium-high heat. Sear the loin 2 to 3 minutes per side, until deep golden all over. Don't let the miso burn: reduce the heat if it darkens too fast.
Transfer the pan to the oven. Roast 25 to 30 minutes, basting once with the reserved marinade halfway through, until the internal temperature reads 63°C (145°F) at the thickest point.
Move the loin to a warm plate. Rest at least 10 minutes, loosely tented with foil.
Slice the loin thinly against the grain. Plate over steamed rice with a small pile of quick-pickled cucumber alongside. Scatter with sesame seeds and spring onion.
Tips
- White miso, not red. Red miso is much saltier and stronger, and will overpower the pork. White (shiro) miso is the gentler, sweeter variety this recipe needs.
- 24 hours is better than 12. The miso works slowly. A full day in the marinade gives you dramatically deeper flavour and more tender meat.
- Wipe off excess marinade before searing. Miso paste burns black at high heat. A thin coating browns beautifully; a thick coating chars.
- Rest matters more than usual. The miso pulls moisture toward the surface. Ten minutes of rest lets the juices redistribute; slice too early and half the marinade ends up on the board.
- Leftovers make excellent cold sandwiches. Slice thin, layer on toasted bread with mayo and cucumber. The Liberdade twist on a bacon butty.
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