Clementine Pork with Rapini

macrostie rose and clementine porkThis playful dish is a nod to the classic Orange Peel Beef. Lighten up! it extolls. And that’s what makes pairing it with MacRostie’s most playful wine (Pinot Noir Rosé) so much fun. The bitter rapini, which is common in Southern Europe and China (believe it or not) also ties wine to Asian cuisine in a uniquely Californian sort of way. The thin-skinned clementines, once gently cooked, become quite edible and it is this tartness of the skin combined with the bitterness of the rapini that contrast the fruit notes of the wine and the sweetness of the chili sauce and the fivespice.

Serves 4

1 pound boneless pork loin chops; sliced into small pieces
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon sesame oil; divided
1 tablespoon olive oil; divided
2 tablespoons minced ginger
4 small clementines (skin on); cut into 8 pieces each
½ cup sweet chili sauce
4 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon five spice powder
salt and pepper
1 bunch rapini; chopped into small pieces

Brown Rice
1 cup brown rice
1 ½ cups water
1 tablespoon butter

Bring rice, water and butter to a boil. butter and water in brown riceStir once. Reduce to lowest temperature and cover. (It’s always best to the cooking instructions of your particular rice as the water ratio frequently varies from producer to producer).

Toss sliced pork into flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper. Heat ½ tablespoon each of sesame and olive oil over medium heat in a wok or a large pan that has a lid. Add the ginger and stir for a minute or so. Add the pork and stir-fry until it’s almost cooked through. pork browning in gingerReserve.

Add the rest of the oil, chili sauce, soy sauce and five spice and stir until combined. You may need to add some water if it’s really thick, but both the clementines and rapini will add liquid so be conservative. sauce base for clementine porkAdd the clementine wedges. sauteeing clementines in sauceStir fry for a couple of minutes. Add the rapini and cover for 2-5 minutes until the leaves wilt and the stems begin to soften. Add the pork back in and finish for another minute or two. finishing the clementine pork with rapiniServe over brown rice with MacRostie Pinot Noir Rosé.

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