This tasty, vaguely Asian-style dish has been in my book so long I don’t even know where it came from. I dragged it out recently, dusted it off, and added the broccolini. Back before the paper got so yellowed, I’d never even heard of broccolini. Now I look for excuses to slip it into a dish — it’s one of my favorites! I really need to find room in my garden to grow some one of these days. I love how much more variety in fresh produce is available now, even as I feel vaguely guilty for the environmental costs of getting it to market.

We didn’t have much in the way of international foods either when I was growing up. My mom’s most exotic recipe was for Sweet and Sour Pork, which we always ate with chopsticks. Brava for her, for teaching us how to use chopsticks! I’m sure there were some neighborhood restaurants downtown with authentic international foods, but I wasn’t aware of them. I don’t think I ever had Chinese food until my sister moved to New York City. Or if I did, it was so unmemorable as to be obliterated by my experience at Szechuan 7, and then Shun Lee West, both of which spoiled me to the extent that I’ve never really warmed to Chinese take-out restaurants. Heavily breaded, frozen stuff dumped in a vat of oil, compared to fresh ingredients prepared on site, is no contest.

I make no claim to authenticity with this recipe — how could I, when I don’t even know where it came from? It’s just fun to make and even more fun to eat. I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

2 to 3 large oranges

1 bunch broccolini (tender-stem broccoli)

1 bunch scallions, cut diagonally

5 to 6 cloves garlic

1 knob fresh ginger

1½ cups (240 – 360 ml) water, divided

½ cup (45 g) uncooked rice

1 lb. (454 g) pork tenderloin

2 Tablespoon Cornstarch, divided

⅓ cup (80 ml) fat-free, low sodium chicken broth

2 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 Tablespoon chili garlic sauce (Still tasty: opened = 1 mo pantry, 6-9 mo fridge)

3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

Preparation:

1.) Grate 1 tablespoon of zest from one of the oranges, then squeeze all its juice. Squeeze another orange or two until you have a total of ¾ cup (180 ml).

2.) Cut the broccolini in half lengthwise and slice the scallions diagonally. Set each aside separately. Mince the garlic and ginger for 1 tablespoon each.

3.) Pour ¼ cup (60 ml) of the orange juice into a small saucepan. Add ¾ cup (180 ml) of water and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover, and reduce to low heat. Set a timer for 20 minutes (or the cooking time for whatever rice you’re using.)

4.) Trim the silvery membranes and fat from the pork. Cut the meat into 2” x ¼” (5 cm x 0.6 cm) strips. In a medium bowl, toss the pork strips with 1 Tablespoon of the cornstarch. Set aside.

5.) In a small bowl, whisk together the broth and the remaining tablespoon of cornstarch until no lumps remain. Add ½ cup (120 ml) of the orange juice, as well as the soy sauce, and chili garlic sauce. Mix well and set aside.

6.) Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add half the pork, spreading it out to avoid overcrowding. Turning occasionally, cook until pork is brown, about 2  to 3 minutes. Remove the pork from the pan, and keep warm. Using another tablespoon of the oil, repeat with the rest of the pork.

7.) Heat the last tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the minced garlic and ginger; cook about 30 seconds. Pour in the last of the water, adding more as necessary, scraping the bottom to loosen all the yummy brown bits. Stir in the sauce from Step 5 and add the scallions and orange zest. I somehow forgot the scallions; I found ‘em on the counter after dinner, still waiting in their little bowl. That would be why they aren’t in the photos!

8.) Return the pork to the pan, layer the broccolini on top of it, and cover. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until the broccoli is fork-tender. Fluff the rice with a fork and top with the skillet contents to serve.