Francis Mallmann's Syrup Trick For Intensely Tender Grilled Pineapple
Whether you recognize him from Netflix's "Chef's Table" or have had the pleasure of dining at one of his nine restaurants, it's no secret that Francis Mallmann is an expert when it comes to open-fire cooking, per Kuoda. Fruits, vegetables, and huge hunks of meat all serve as prey to the fires he makes, often within the beautiful landscape of Patagonia (via Bon Appétit). In short, this guy can cook anything over a flame, even a cake.
According to Kitchen Arts & Letters, his book, "Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way," showcases Argentinian-style cooking, ranging from recipes like salt-crusted striped bass to dulce de leche pancakes. His other cookbook, "Green Fire," is more of a vegetarian approach to grilling, bringing more awareness to Earth and our climate notes Food & Wine.
While the chef's top grilling picks are calamari, lobster halves, and meat like lamb and pork, there's one delicacy he's known for that is a far cry from its crunchy raw form: whole grilled pineapple. Here's his trick to make the bright yellow fruit tender to perfection.
Pineapple syrup is the solution for tender grilled pineapple
The combination of slow cooking and toasting is essential to turn the pineapple into a melt-in-your-mouth texture, Francis Mallman shares with Bon Appétit. Over 12 long grilling hours, his team at Los Fuegos takes a whole pineapple and gives it a dunk into pineapple syrup. This is repeated once per hour for a total of 12 syrupy dunks. Mallman explains that this cycle of cooking and dipping creates a confit-like taste and texture of the resulting dessert.
If you happen to get the chance to dine at Los Fuegos in Miami Beach, do so because it's probably the closest you'll get to the chef's cooking — unless you're willing to pay $65,000 to dine for five days with the man himself, per Michelin Guide and Outside Online, respectively. His restaurant is, of course, known for its grilled Argentinian fare, but one of the standouts is the seasonal grilled pineapple as a sweet ending to the meal, as mentioned by Bon Appétit.
Carved out to make a pineapple chicken teriyaki boat or simply grilled over a bed of hot coals, pineapple is truly a remarkable fruit that can be enjoyed in many ways. But Mallman takes it to the next level with pineapple syrup and, most importantly, time. The question then becomes, what will he grill up next?