Chinese-Style Pork Salad Recipe
1 pork loin, centre cut (about 2 lbs.)
Marinade
1 3/4 cup Chinese wine
1 cup maple syrup
1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbsp coriander, chopped
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
2 tsp sesame oil
Garnish
1 McIntosh apple, peeled and sliced into wedges
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup sour cherries, with juice
Poaching
4 cups canola oil, enough to cover pork loin
Dressing
1 egg yolk
1 tsp each of Dijon mustard, English mustard and mustard seeds
3 tbsp honey
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1/4 cup olive oil
Pinch of salt
Salad
1 bunch of watercress, washed and pat dry
4 radishes, thinly sliced
3 tbsp pistachios, crushed
Step 1: Combine all marinade ingredients. Add pork loin, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinade in refrigerator for 3 days.
Step 2: Preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 3: After marinating, heat a frying pan (do not grease pan). Brown pork loin on all sides, remove from pan.
Step 4: Heat canola oil in a large pot on medium heat and submerge pork loin.
Step 5: Roast in oven for 30 minutes.
Step 6: Meanwhile, prepare garnish. Using the same frying pan add butter and sauté apple wedges until soft but not mushy. Add cherries and juice to the pan; continue to cook until all the juice is absorbed.
Step 7: In a bowl, mix together salad dressing ingredients, except olive oil. Slowly drizzle olive oil while whisking in to ingredients. Reserve dressing.
Step 8: Carefully remove pork loin from hot oil. Place on a cutting board lined with paper towel to drain. Allow pork loin to rest for 10 minutes.
Step 9: Thinly slice pork and arrange on a plate. Surround pork with apple-cherry mixture. Garnish the dish with salad of watercress and radish, pour dressing over the garnish and sprinkle with crushed pistachios.
