Asian Mandarin Pork Food

MANDARIN PORK

Steps:

• Combine the first six ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag; add pork and turn to coat. Seal bag; refrigerate overnight, turning meat several times. , Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients in a bowl; cover and chill. In another bowl, stir boiling water into mustard; add salt and stir until smooth. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour; chill. , Discard marinade from meat. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 18-20 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°-170°, turning occasionally. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with sauce and mustard for dipping.

CHAR SIU (CHINESE BBQ PORK)

Steps:

• Cut the pork into long strips or chunks about 2 to 3 inches thick. Don't trim any excess fat, as it will render off and add flavor.
• Combine the sugar, salt, five spice powder, white pepper, sesame oil, wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, molasses, food coloring (if using), and garlic in a bowl to make the marinade (i.e. the BBQ sauce).
• Reserve about 2 tablespoons of marinade and set it aside. Rub the pork with the rest of the marinade in a large bowl or baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours. Cover and store the reserved marinade in the fridge as well.
• Preheat your oven to 'bake' at 475 F (246 C) with a rack positioned in the upper third of the oven. (If you only have a convection oven, keep in mind the oven not only heats more quickly, your char siu will roast faster than what we have described here). It's amazing how oven temperatures can vary-from model to model, in different spots in the oven, and in how ovens pre-heat and maintain heat. Using an oven thermometer to double-check the actual oven temperature is a great safeguard to monitor your food (I say double-check because even oven thermostat calibrations vary and can sometimes be incorrect). Regardless, be sure to check your char siu every 10 minutes, reducing or increasing the temperature as needed.
• Line a sheet pan with foil and place a metal rack on top. Using the metal rack keeps the pork off of the pan and allows it to roast more evenly, like it does in commercial ovens described above. Place the pork on the rack, leaving as much space as possible between pieces. Pour 1 ½ cups water into the pan below the rack. This prevents any drippings from burning or smoking.
• Transfer the pork to your preheated oven. Roast for 25 minutes, keeping the oven setting at 475 F for the first 10 minutes of roasting, and then reduce your oven temperature to 375 F (190 C). After 25 minutes, flip the pork. If the bottom of the pan is dry, add another cup of water. Turn the pan 180 degrees to ensure even roasting. Roast another 15 minutes. Throughout the roasting time, check your char siu often (every 10 minutes) and reduce the oven temperature if it looks like it is burning!
• Meanwhile, combine the reserved marinade with the maltose or honey (maltose is very viscous--you can heat it up in the microwave to make it easier to work with) and 1 tablespoon hot water. This will be the sauce you'll use for basting the pork.
• After 40 minutes of total roasting time, baste the pork, flip it, and baste the other side as well. Roast for a final 10 minutes.
• By now, the pork has cooked for 50 minutes total. It should be cooked through and caramelized on top. If it's not caramelized to your liking, you can turn the broiler on for a couple minutes to crisp the outside and add some color/flavor. Be sure not to walk away during this process, since the sweet char siu BBQ sauce can burn if left unattended. You can also use a meat thermometer to check if the internal temperature of the pork has reached 160 degrees F. (Update: USDA recommends that pork should be cooked to 145 degrees F with a 3 minute resting time)
• Remove from the oven and baste with the last bit of reserved BBQ sauce. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing, and enjoy!

MANDARIN PORK STIR-FRY

Steps:

• Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, garlic powder and ginger. Stir in orange juice until smooth. Stir in water and soy sauce; set aside. , In a large wok or skillet, stir-fry pork in oil until juices run clear; remove to a platter and keep warm. In the same skillet, stir-fry peas until tender. Return pork to skillet. Stir orange juice mixture; add to skillet. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Gently stir in oranges. Serve with rice.

5-SPICE PORK STIR FRY WITH MANDARIN ORANGES

Steps:

• For the pork and peach bbq sauce: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the peaches, brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and ginger in a food processor or blender.
• Pat the pork dry with paper towels and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Reserve half (about 2 cups) of the peach BBQ sauce and set aside. Transfer the pork, fat-side up, to a rack over a heavy-bottomed roasting pan and brush the rest of the sauce all over the pork. Add the stock to the bottom of the roasting pan.
• Roast the pork until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 140 degrees F, about 1 hour. Transfer the pork to a baking sheet to rest for 10 minutes. Reserve 1 1/4 pounds for the stir fry, and reserve the rest for leftovers or another recipe.
• Remove the rack from the roasting pan and place on the stove over medium-high heat. Whisk in the reserved BBQ sauce and scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate the browned sauce. Cook until slightly reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes.
• For the stir fry: Cook the rice according to the package directions.
• Add 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil to a small saute pan and heat over medium heat until it begins to shimmer; turn off the heat, add the five-spice powder and cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, orange juice, sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.
• Slice the pork into 1/4-inch rounds, then slice again to make 1/2-inch-wide strips. Place the pork in a medium bowl and season with the sesame oil and five-spice mixture.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over high heat until very hot in a large skillet or wok. Add the peas, onions and bell peppers and stir-fry until the vegetables begin to soften, about 1 minute. Add the ginger and garlic and continue to stir-fry for an additional minute. Finally, add the sliced pork, the soy-vinegar mixture and scallions and continue to cook until the pork has warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Cook until the sauce thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and give it a few more stirs. Serve over the rice and garnish with roasted peanuts and mandarin oranges, if desired.

MANDARIN PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• Drain oranges, reserving juice; set oranges aside. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 3 tablespoons reserved juice until smooth; set aside. In another small bowl, combine the onions, brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, mustard, salt, cinnamon, cloves and remaining juice; set aside., In a large nonstick skillet, brown pork chops in butter on both sides. Add onion mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°, turning chops once., Remove pork and keep warm. Discard cloves. Stir cornstarch mixture into pan juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in oranges. Serve with pork chops.

MANDARIN PORK AND WILD RICE

Steps:

• Sprinkle pork with pepper and salt. In a large skillet, brown pork in oil. Meanwhile, drain oranges, reserving juice; set oranges aside. , Add the water, rice mix with contents of seasoning packet, onions and reserved juice to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and liquid is absorbed. Stir in oranges; heat through.

MANDARIN PORK ROAST

Steps:

• Combine rosemary, garlic and pepper; rub over roast. Place roast, fat side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. , Arrange oranges over roast. Combine glaze ingredients; brush over roast. Bake 30 minutes longer or until a thermometer reads 160°, brushing often with glaze. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

MANDARIN PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• In large skillet, brown chops in oil; remove from pan.
• In skillet, add remaining ingredients except orange segments and green pepper; cook and stir until slightly thickened.
• Add chops; cover and simmer 20 minutes or until tender.
• Add orange segments and green pepper; heat through.
• Cheers, Doreen Doreen Randal, Wanganui.
• New Zealand.