The soft flesh of a ripe mango is an alluring blend of pineapple and tree-ripened peach, but it’s sweeter and more exotic.
The scent is enticing too, a blend of pine forest and tropical jungle.
No wonder it is the most widely consumed fruit in the world.
Roast pork and fresh mango are a luscious combination. In this dish, pork loin braises under a blanket of mango chutney, while a shallow mixture of pineapple and juice scented with curry powder simmers around the base.
It’s served with diced fresh mango that’s tossed with fresh ginger and cilantro. I used SAPURANA mangoes. They have creamy, velvety flesh with a honey-sweet flavor balanced with hints of lemon.
Mango Roast Pork Loin
Yield: 8 to 9 servings
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon vegetable oil or canola oil
1 tablespoon curry powder
3 to 4 cups diced fresh pineapple
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup chicken broth
1 (3 1/2-pound) boneless center-cut pork loin
Salt and pepper to taste
Two-thirds cup prepared mango chutney
Optional: Curry-Pineapple Rice; see cook’s notes
Mango garnish: 2 fresh mangoes, peeled and diced (or sliced) and
tossed with 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger and 1 tablespoon minced
cilantro
Optional: additional mango chutney
Cook’s notes: To prepare rice, place 1 cup of juice-broth mixture and 3 cups of water in a large saucepan. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to boil. Add 2 cups long grain rice, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 18 minutes. If any liquid remains cook a few more minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork. If desired, stir in some of the pineapple wedges that cooked with the pork.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter, oil and curry powder in skillet. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add pineapple and
stir to coat. Add pineapple juice and broth and bring to boil on high heat. Boil 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, trim pork of excess fat, leaving a thin layer on top of
the meat. Place, fat-side up, in a shallow roasting pan. Using a slotted spoon, scoop up pineapple and place around meat. Pour 1/ 3 cup of juice-broth mixture over top of meat. Place in middle of a preheated 350-degree oven. Roast 1 hour, uncovered.
3. Reduce juice-broth mixture by boiling on high heat for about 7 to 8 minutes; reduce by a little less than half in volume. As pork roasts, if pan looks dry, spoon a little of this reduced juice-broth mixture over the roast to baste it. If preparing rice, reserve 1 cup of juice-broth mixture; set aside.
4. Remove roast from oven and season with salt and pepper. Spread chutney over the top of the roast, covering sides and ends. Return to oven and roast, uncovered, an additional 20 to 30 minutes (roast should have an internal temperature of 150 to 160 degrees). Add more juice-broth mixture to pan if it looks dry. Prepare Curry-Pineapple Rice (see cook’s notes), if desired. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. If using, place rice on serving platter. Arrange pork slices, overlapping each slice to form a pattern. Place mango garnish around the pork. Serve immediately.
Source: “Melissa’s Great Book of Produce” by Cathy Thomas (Wiley, $29.95)
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