VIETNAMESE PORK WITH ORANGE JUICE AND CILANTRO
Ingredients:
2 1/2 lb. loin of pork, center cut, trimmed of most but not all the fat
20 small cloves garlic, peeled
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 C. chopped cilantro stalks
1 1/2 C. chicken broth
4 bay leaves
4 whole allspice
Sauce:
1 T. unsalted butter
1 T. fat skimmed from pan juices
3 green onions, trimmed and finely chopped, with most of the green parts
2 1/2 T. lime juice
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
Juice of 2 large oranges
1/4 C. finely chopped cilantro stalks
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and set the rack in the middle
of the oven.
Make 20 incisions all over the pork with the point of a
sharp knife and insert the cloves of garlic. Season the
meat with salt and pepper to taste. Set the meat on a rack
in a roasting pan and sprinkle the top thickly with the
1/3 cup chopped cilantro stalks. Put the broth, bay leaves
and allspice in the roasting pan, and cover the pan tightly
with foil so that no steam will escape.
Cook the meat until it is very tender but not falling apart, so
that you can slice it easily - about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Set
the meat aside on a warm dish for about 15 minutes. Slice
the meat, cover with foil and keep warm in the oven.
Meanwhile, degrease the broth. Put the butter and
1 tablespoon of the skimmed fat in a saucepan and heat.
Add the onions and 1 tablespoon of the lime juice and fry
gently until soft. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons lime
juice plus the skimmed pan juices (be sure to scrape the
bottom of the pan well for all the scraps adhering to it),
cover the pan and cook the sauce for about 5 minutes. Add
the mustard, orange juice and the 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
stalks. Cook, uncovered, for about 4 minutes longer. Pour
some of the sauce over the meat and pass the rest in a
separate dish.
Makes 5-6 servings.
B-man
