Featured Recipe
Glazed Pork Salad
By Kate
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Pork tenderloin marinated then seared and roasted with a sticky glaze. Paired with quick-pickled rainbow carrots and watermelon radishes for a crunchy, tangy punch. Fresh romaine, Lebanese cucumbers, scallions, and serrano slices bring brightness. Lime juice and reserved pickling liquid dress the salad adding acidity and snap. A honey substitute and fish sauce tweak the sweet-salty balance. Timing relies on visual and tactile cues over clocks for meat and pickles. Simple, versatile, avoiding dairy, nuts, and eggs. Useful tricks for resting meat and handling delicate veggies included.
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Prep:
35 min
Cook:
18 min
Total:
53 min
Serves:
4 servings
pork
salad
quick meals
healthy
Asian fusion
Introduction
Pork tenderloin with a lacquered finish sees quick attention to technique — marinade, sear, roast. Each step has a sensory checkpoint: the sizzle and caramelization in the pan; the amber bubbles locking flavor. Vegetables thinly sliced then lightly pickled offer contrast — crunch and vibrancy against warm soy-sweet pork. A splash of lime wakes the dish up midway, cutting the richness. No fuss on timing — feel the meat, watch the glaze, observe the color of quick pickles. Everyone has variations at hand so fish sauce and watermelon radish swap ease pantry constraints. Resting meat is more than tradition — it’s the difference between dry disappointment and well-earned tenderness. Skipping steps means shortcuts, don’t cheat your results.
Ingredients
Glazed Pork
- 400 g pork tenderloin (about 14 oz)
- 25 ml soy sauce
- 25 ml hoisin sauce
- 20 ml brown sugar
- 15 ml lime juice
- 15 ml rice vinegar
- 20 ml honey (or maple syrup)
- 15 ml vegetable oil
- 15 ml fish sauce
- 1 small orange carrot, peeled julienned
- 1 small watermelon radish, thinly sliced on mandoline, blanched 30 seconds
- 25 ml lime juice
- 5 ml white sugar
- 150 g romaine lettuce torn
- 3 Lebanese cucumbers julienned
- 3 scallions thin julienne
- 1 serrano chili seeded julienned
- Lime wedges as needed
Quick-pickled Vegetables
Garnishes and Salad
About the ingredients
Reducing pork weight keeps cooking manageable and even. Brown sugar swaps white to deepen glaze tone. Fish sauce adds depth, but if missing, double soy. Honey can be replaced with maple syrup for earthiness or agave to dial sweetness down. Watermelon radish delivers crunch and mild bitterness but yellow beet or daikon are fine alternatives. Blanching radish just 30 seconds softens it but preserves that snap. Remember to reserve all pickling and marinade liquids for finishing sauces — lost flavor opportunities if discarded. Israeli or English cucumbers work in place of Lebanese. Keep oils neutral to not overpower glaze.
Method
Glazed Pork
- 1. Place pork in a resealable bag. Add soy sauce, hoisin, brown sugar, lime juice, rice vinegar. Massage to coat. Rest 10 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate up to 8 hours. Drain pork, keep marinade aside. Stir honey and fish sauce into marinade.
- 2. Preheat oven to 210°C (410°F). Position rack mid-level.
- 3. Heat oil in heavy skillet over medium-high. Sear pork on all sides until deeply browned, about 4 minutes. Pour marinade in; it will bubble. Sear pork turning occasionally to coat glaze thickening — coats the meat as caramel forms.
- 4. Transfer skillet to oven. Roast 12 minutes or until internal temp reads 58°C (136°F) on instant-read. Turn pork gently halfway through. Don’t overcook or it dries.
- 5. Remove, tent loosely with foil. Rest 12 minutes. Juices will redistribute, resulting in tender slices. Slice thin against grain just before plating.
- 6. Meanwhile, split julienned carrot and radish into two bowls. Mix lime juice and sugar evenly between both. Let sit 12-15 minutes. Drain before plating, but reserve pickling liquid for drizzling salad.
- 7. Divide torn romaine onto plates. Layer cucumbers, scallions, and chili slices. Add pork slices on top. Scatter pickled carrot and radish. Drizzle reserved pork glaze and pickling juices over everything to balance richness and brightness. Serve with lime wedges.
- Key: watch for caramelizing glaze bubbles — they signal when to move to oven. Pickling times short—vegetables should snap crisp with slight tartness. Resting meat is non-negotiable for juiciness. If no thermometer, press pork gently: it should yield slightly but resist. Swap watermelon radish for peeled yellow beet or even daikon. Fish sauce boosts umami, but use soy extra if none on hand. Honey swap means watch glaze viscosity. Fry pan with thick base prevents burning sugar in marinade. Too salty? Add squeeze more lime before glaze step.
Quick-pickled Vegetables
Assembly
Technique Tips
Don’t trust times blindly. Caramelization on pork signals readiness for oven, listen and watch the bubbling glaze. Use instant-read thermometer, aiming for medium rare at 58°C, resting temp will rise a bit more. Flip in marinade during roasting to distribute sticky syrup evenly. Resting meat under foil traps heat and redistributes juices preventing drying on slicing. Vegetables need quick acid soak for bite and preservation but over-soaking leads to limp textures — test by pressing sample piece. Always strain pickles well to avoid watery salad. Layering salad foundation of lettuce prevents soggy bottom. Dress salad at plating time, never ahead. If pan glaze bubbles burn too fast lower heat next time; caramelized sugars are tricky but nonnegotiable flavor.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Start with marinating. Pork tenderloin needs time. Aim for 30 mins to 8 hours. Build flavor. Soy, hoisin, lime — work them in well. Watch for bubbles in the pan.
- 💡 Don't overcook the pork. 58°C is your mark. Use an instant-read thermometer. Juices need to redistribute, tent with foil after roasting. Rest 12 mins — means tender slices, less dryness.
- 💡 For pickles, balance is key. Mix lime juice and sugar finely. Don't soak too long. Crisp is what you're after. Keep a close eye. Drain well before using — avoid watery salad.
- 💡 A flat base for frying is best. Heat oil medium-high. Sear until deeply browned. That's your cue. Avoid too high heat — sugar burns fast. Stay vigilant. Keep pork moving, glazy goodness.
- 💡 Cucumber swaps work; Lebanese or English cucumbers fit well. For radishes, yellow beet or daikon — all about texture. Check the snap. Quick blanch if needed, but only 30 seconds.
