Cooking with Rod

By Rod Cohenour 

 

It is Summer and hot, hot, hot. But this recipe may well be worth heating up the kitchen! Or, save the recipe for the first cool days of Autumn. But, don’t lose the recipe – it is definitely a keeper.

Everybody, at least everyone I know loves Asian fusion flavors. This recipe takes a little work, but the end results are astounding. In Arizona, we were privileged to have large, beautiful seedless oranges almost year-round. Any orange will do, but navel oranges have that sweet flavor that works so well in this recipe.

My mouth is watering just thinking about how good this recipe is. Treat yourself and your family in a very, very special way ... try the three complementary recipes and the sauce.

Bon appetit ~!
 
M’s Orange Ginger Loin with Asian Rice Pilaf and Asian Fusion Salad
(Recipe by Melinda Cohenour - May 14, 2007)   Ingredients:

• 5-7 lb pork loin, very lean
• 1 bottle Ken’s Lite Asian Sesame Orange Ginger Dressing, fill “empty” bottle and do not rinse out
• Garlic Powder
• Sage
• Mrs. Dash Chipotle Seasoning
• 24 oz Water (add to pan only after juices have cooked down and loin begins to brown)
• Orange rind ring and a few pieces orange fruit to add to liquid around loin (see salad preparation below)

Directions:

Rinse loin well, rubbing with hands to remove packing liquids from surface. Place in large pan (I use my large green enamel roasting pan). Pour entire bottle of Ken’s dressing over the loin, sprinkle liberally with dry seasonings. Place in 450° oven with no lid.
After loin browns and liquids have begun to reduce, add about three (3) 8 oz. glasses cold water to pan and turn loin when top side is perfectly brown. Season newly exposed surface with dry seasonings. Return to oven. Cook per suggested cooking time per weight of meat (about 2 ½ -3 ½ hours for 5 – 10 lb loin, if not frozen. Frozen meat takes longer.)

Pour juices from loin roasting pan to medium sauce pan. Pepper liberally and bring to a boil. Add paste of flour and water (about ½ cup flour in a bowl, add ½ cup water and whisk thoroughly) to boiling pan juices and stir until thickened. Serve as sauce for meat and rice pilaf.

Asian Rice Pilaf
While loin begins to cook, prepare rice pilaf. Plan one cup minimum rice per serving, adding liquids to large pan as follows: (I prepared Instant Rice – using 8 cups liquid and 8 cups dry rice. Do not add rice to pan until liquids, bell pepper, onions, and water chestnuts have come to a boil).

• Juice from 1 can pineapple chunks, measure (about 1 cup)
• Water (measure as adding) from Ken’s dressing bottle, shake well to loosen remaining dressing for flavoring of rice, about 2 ¼ cups liquid.
• More water as necessary to have all liquid needed for your rice
• 1 bell pepper, any color(s), cut in strips and then in dices, retain one handful for salad
• 1 bunch green onions, rinsed, retaining handful of green tops for salad
• 1 can sliced water chestnuts, thoroughly drained – do not use liquid.
• 2 Tbsp. butter or oleo, if desired

Later, when cooked:

• Cilantro (fresh), one small handful rinsed and de-stemmed leaves
• Small package blanched or toasted, sliced almonds (do not add until end)
• Pineapple chunks, reserved above

1. Time rice preparation to coincide with last few minutes of loin roasting. With instant rice, you will bring liquid mixture (including listed ingredients to and including butter) to a boil, add dry rice, stir in, bring back to a boil, set off heat and let sit for about 5 minutes. It should be moist and fluffy, not sticky.

2. Just before serving, add cilantro, pineapple and almonds and stir well. Return lid to pan to retain heat.
  Asian Fusion Orange-Cilantro Salad

• 1 package prepared American Salad mix (iceberg lettuce, carrot strips, green and purple cabbage)
• 1 handful retained bell pepper dices
• 1 handful retained green onion tops
• 2 large, seed-free or de-seeded oranges, remove ends to fruit, slice in ½ in. slices and remove fruit sections OVER salad (to let juices dress greens as you work).
• Use rind of one slice in loin roast.
• ¾ cup Cilantro leaves, rinsed and de-stemmed

3. Place bowl of salad in refrigerator to become crisp while loin and rice are being prepared.

4. When loin is fully cooked, lift meat to carving board and let stand to retain juices. Slice thinly after it stands about 10 minutes.

5. Serve with rice as a side and drizzle the sauce over both. The Asian Fusion Salad provides the perfect complement to this dish. Cool glasses of iced tea or lemonade will please the palate. Hot, crispy rolls or crusty French bread provide the perfect touch.
(Melinda Cohenour)



Orange Ginger Loin - Asian Rice Pilaf and Asian Fusion Salad

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