Orange-Lemon Pork Tenderloin

July 14, 2010

Years back when I was a kid, there was no cable television yet; there were only about 5 channels available then and there was this Chinese cooking show that I used to watch pretty regularly because it comes before the cartoons. It was in all in Chinese so I didn’t understand a thing but I watched it anyways because I was fascinated by the woman on the show – she cooks and talks fast and her dishes always made me hungry.

One of the things I noticed that she used regularly on her cooking was the water and cornstach mixture that she always added towards the end and it’s one of the things that makes her dishes so yummy-looking…

Just like this dish… a variation on Chinese-style lemon/orange chicken; I ran out of chicken fillet so I thought of using pork tenderloin instead. I just love the crunchy fried fillet with sauce that glistens- sour and sweet and (spicy) too, it’s one of our all-time favorites…so delicious!

orange_pork_tenderloin_2

cut tenderloin into bite-size pieces, season with salt and pepper..add in beaten egg and dredge in cornstarch..

pan-fry until golden brown and crispy or use a deep-fryer if you want..

drain on paper towels and set aside..

In the same pan..saute garlic, ginger..

add orange peel, sauce..bring to a boil..

add the fried pork tenderloin and scallions..

nohm..nohm..nohm 😛

ORANGE-LEMON PORK TENDERLOIN
Makes 4-5 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb (450g) pork tenderloin cut into bite size pieces
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 egg (beaten)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Oil (for frying)

For the sauce
1 ½ cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
¼ cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest (grated)
1 cup packed brown sugar
ginger root, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
some scallions, chopped
red pepper flakes, as much or as little as you like
3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Here’s How:

Heat oil in a pan or you may use a deep fryer if you want. Combine tenderloin and one beaten egg, season with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, combine cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Dip tenderloin pieces in cornstarch mixture to coat. Fry in batches until browned; drain on paper towels and set aside.

In the same pan, leave a little amount of oil and saute minced garlic and ginger; add red chili flakes and orange zest. In a bowl, combine 1 ½ cups water, lemon juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and let simmer for a few minutes.

Combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and mix thoroughly. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens. Add the cooked pork tenderloin and heat through, mix it well, do not cook for more tha a minute or the pork will lose its crunch. Garnish with parsley, green onion or orange slices if you want. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately with hot rice. yum-yum!! 🙂

♥ Thanks for reading…Have a nice day!! 🙂 ♥