Dance

I didn't collapse on the floor, but it was a near thing. I'd spent Thursday prepping for my class on grilling and I had just leaned over to pick up a bag full of garbage when I felt something in my back pop and my knees almost gave out. Whooooeee! It hurt. It really, really hurt. For a minute or so I wasn't sure I'd be able to stand up straight again.

I did manage to stand up, but not without twitching as the usually-unnoticed interplay of sinew and fiber we all use to maintain an upright position would call on the muscles I had somehow strained just bending over.

I had to cancel my class, which left me with a refrigerator full of marinating meat. That night I had cold ham, cheese, and a banana for supper -- something I could fix with minimal movement. But Friday I had to deal with the cooking class prep. I decided to freeze the two bags full of chicken and cook the marinated pork.

Oh. Lord...

The recipe was from Williams-Sonoma (the class was supposed to be at Williams-Sonoma) and it was a Spanish dish that highlighted the Moorish influence. The Moors didn't eat pork but the Spaniards have, apparently, always loved eating pig. I can imagine the marinade with lamb, but judging by the results I'm positive it has been tweaked over the centuries to specifically highlight pork.

That night, I was still moving like a ninety-year-old man. Slow, stiff, occasionally faltering, a cripple. But eating that extraordinary dish I danced.

I closed my eyes and the spices swirled across my tongue. One moment they stamp on my taste buds -- a Flamingo dancer pounding a rhythm of sensation, hard heels beating a tattoo with skirts flouncing. Then the flouncing skirts morphed into swaying silks and delicate veils and the erotic languor of a belly dance caressing my tongue. Two cultures.choreographed into a seamless dance across my palate. Romancing my nose. Seducing my belly.

Moorish Pork Kabobs (Pinchos Morunos)

1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt, plus more, to taste
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 lb pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 c fresh lemon juice

Combine the olive oil, cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne pepper, turmeric, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small skillet over low heat. Cook until warmed through and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Place the pork pieces in a bowl and rub with the spice mixture. Add the garlic, parsley and lemon juice and toss well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat, or prepare a hot fire in a grill.

Thread the meat onto skewers and season with salt. Grill on all sides until just cooked through, 12 - 15 minutes total. Serves 8.

The name of this dish, Pinchos Morunos, translates to Moorish Pointed Stick (or thorn), a reference to the skewers. These kabobs are seriously good.