Asian Brined Pork Loin With Gingered Yams And Five Spice Apples Recipes

ASIAN-MARINATED PORK LOIN WITH GINGERED SWEET POTATOES AND FIVE-SPICE APPLES

Steps:

• One day in advance, combine the water, salt, sugar, soy sauce, peppercorns, ginger, anise, and bay leaves in a deep baking dish large enough to hold the pork and stir to mix. Add the pork; if it is not covered, add more water. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Rinse the pork thoroughly with cold water, pat dry, and season with the ground pepper to taste. Heat a large skillet over high heat, add the oil, and swirl to caot the bottom of the pan. When the oil shimmers, add the pork and brown on all sides. Transfer the pork to a roasting pan and roast just until the pork is hot through to the center (about 125 degrees F internal temperature), 25 to 30 minutes. The interior of the pork will remain pink.
• Allow the pork to rest for 10 minutes and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Divide the gingered sweet potatoes among 4 plates, surround with the pork, and add the five-spice apples. Garnish with the chives, drizzle with the chile oil, and serve.
• Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and ginger and saute, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cream and reduce by one-third over low heat, about 10 minutes. Keep warm.
• Meanwhile, combine the sweet potatoes in a large saucepan with enough water to cover them completely. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until they can be pierced easily with the tip of a knife, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and trasnfer to a food processor. Add the cream and process until well blended. Add the remaining butter, season with salt and pepper, and puree until smooth. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl, correct the seasonings, and serve.
• For the Five-Spice Apples: Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and saute, stirring, until brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the five-spice powder, brown sugar, apples, and juice. Stir, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 12 minutes. The apples should retain their shape and some liquid should remain in the pan; do not overcook. Stir in the butter and correct the seasonings. Serve warm.
• For the Chile Oil: In a medium skillet, combine the chile powder, cumin, and salt, and heat over medium heat just until the mixture begins to smoke. Whisk in the oil and remove from the stove.
• Allow the chile oil to cool, transfer it to a glass jar, and let stand overnight. Cover and use or store. The oil will separate from the solids; use the red oil only.

FIVE-SPICE PORK RIBS WITH SMOTHERED ONIONS AND SPICY DRIED CRANBERRY BBQ SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the ribs: Whisk together the water, five-spice, sugar and salt until dissolved. Cut the racks in half and submerge fully in the brining liquid. Refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat an oven to 300 degrees F.
• Line a sheet tray with enough foil to completely cover and seal the pork ribs. Evenly spread the sliced onions on the foil and place the butter on top. Remove the ribs from the liquid and season both sides with salt and pepper. Place the ribs in one layer on top of the onions, and fold the foil over making sure to tightly seal the package. Roast undisturbed for 2 hours.
• To make the sauce: Coat a small saucepan with the canola oil. Over medium heat, sweat the onions and garlic until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the sugar, cranberries, cranberry juice, vinegar and chipotle peppers. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Puree the sauce in a blender until very smooth, season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• Remove the ribs from the oven, unwrap and baste the ribs with the sauce. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake the ribs uncovered for 10 minutes until the sauce is lightly browned.
• Divide the smothered onions onto 4 plates and serve with half a rack per person, or serve family style on a platter.

SPICE-BRINED PORK ROAST WITH ORANGE-SOY GLAZE

Steps:

• Brine the pork: Combine the salt, sugar, ginger, garlic, star anise and chiles in a large pot with 4 cups water. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and salt. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Squeeze the orange juice into the brine, then add the squeezed orange pieces and 2 cups cold water.
• Place the pork on a cutting board, fat cap-side down and make a few slits between the ribs with a sharp knife; transfer to a large pot or resealable plastic bag. Add the brine, plus up to 2 cups more water if needed to cover the pork. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Remove the pork from the brine and pat very dry. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Set a rack in a roasting pan and place the pork on the rack, fat-side up. Roast until a thermometer inserted into the center registers 115˚ F to 120˚ F, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 425˚ F.
• Meanwhile, make the glaze: Combine the orange juice, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and sugar in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Simmer, stirring, until thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside about half of the glaze for serving.
• Brush some of the remaining glaze over the roast. Return to the oven and continue cooking, brushing with more glaze every 5 minutes, until the thermometer registers 135˚ F to 140˚ F, 15 to 25 more minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest 20 to 30 minutes before carving. Serve with the reserved glaze and any collected juices.

PAN-ROASTED 5-SPICE PORK LOIN

Steps:

• Place the roast on its side and split in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. Make shallow slashes in a diamond pattern on both sides of each piece. Transfer halves to a flat dish.
• Whisk rice vinegar, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, salt, pepper, and Chinese 5-spice powder together in a bowl. Pour sauce over the meat; turn each piece over several times to thoroughly coat. Let meat marinate for about 30 minutes at room temperature. (Or transfer to a zip top bag and refrigerate for 3 or 4 hours.)
• Heat a heavy cast iron skillet over medium-high heat; add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Brown meat on each side, 4 to 5 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).
• Transfer to a plate to rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.