Asian Grilled Pork Salad

April 18, 2015

One thing I've learned on this journey is that things that have Oriental Sesame oil are delicious! It's not an overpowering kind of flavor, but it's one that packs a little punch... You know it when it's there. In this case, it is used to compliment the sauce that composes this salad. This salad does require some marinating time so read carefully. Enjoy!

Asian Grilled Pork Salad

GTLF: Grilling p. 47

Serves 4, working time 25 min., total time 30 min. plus marinating time.

1/4 C reduced sodium soy sauce

1/4 C orange marmalade

2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

3/4 pound well trimmed pork tenderloin

2 tsp. dark Oriental sesame oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

8 oz. linguine

2 C peeled baby carrots

1 C snow peas

2 red bell peppers, cut into 2 inch wide strips

1 navel orange, peeled and sectioned

1. In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, marmalade, orange juice concentrate, ginger, and cloves. Transfer 1/3 C of the mixture to a sturdy plastic bag. Add the pork, squeeze the air out of the bag, seal, and marinate at room temperature for 20 min. or up to 12 hours in the refrigerator. To the orange soy mixture remaining in the bowl, add the sesame oil and vinegar. Set the dressing aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, cook the linguine for 5 min. Add the carrots and cook for 6 min. Add the snow peas and cook until the pasta is tender, about 30 seconds. Drain the pasta and vegetables to the dressing in the bowl, tossing to coat.

3. Preheat the grill to a medium heat. Spray the rack, off the grill, with nonstick cooking spray. Grill the pork and bell peppers, covered, turning occasionally, and basting with the marinade for 15 min. or until the pork is cooked through and the pepper skins are blackened. (Remove the peppers before the pork if necessary.)

4. Slice the pork and divide among 4 plates. Add the peppers to the pasta and vegetables and divide the salad among 4 plates. Drizzle any dressing remaining in the bowl over the pork. Arrange the orange sections on top of the plates and serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutritional Information: 8 g fat, 490 calories, 1.9 g sat. fat, 76 g carbohydrate, 30 g protein, 60 mg cholesterol, 679 mg sodium.

Tips:

1. I finally learned about sectioning the orange... you need to cut all the way past the white pulp to the orange... then you cut between the wedges. This is how to separate... do it over a bowl or sink or something since it is messy, but it sure makes for a pretty garnish. I just sucked on all the orange rinds so I didn't feel I wasted anything.