Full of tender pork and a lovely citrus flavor, this Asian-inspired dish is impressive enough for company and will please the whole family. Using fresh mandarins such as Pittman & Davis Honey Mandarins or Gold Nugget Mandarins adds an extra zing of fresh flavor. Both varieties are seedless and have a less acidic flavor than regular oranges that works well in Asian cuisine. Serves 4-6.
Note: you can save time by using thawed frozen sugar snap peas and drained canned mandarins in place of the fresh, but you’ll get a much more vibrant, flavorful and nutritious dish by taking the extra few minutes to prep the fresh fruit and veggies!
Ingredients:
- 6 Pittman & Davis Mandarins
- 1 lb. tenderloin, cut into 2-inch strips
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 lb. sugar snap peas, prepared
- 1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
- 1 green onion, sliced and divided into light and dark green pieces
- ½ red bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. ground ginger
- ¼ c. water
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. canola oil
- 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
- Red pepper flakes, optional
- 2 c. jasmine rice, cooked OR 3 (3 oz.) packages of ramen noodles, cooked
Ingredients:
- Prepare the mandarins: peel the mandarins and remove the stringy pith. Juice one or two of the mandarins; set aside. Separate the remaining mandarins into segments and blanch in boiling water for 10 seconds. Drain segments, then cool immediately in ice water (about minutes). Drain. Using kitchen shears, snip ends of mandarin membranes and peel them away. Set fruit aside.
- Prepare the sugar snap peas and red pepper. Pinch off ends of pea pods and pull to remove strings along the seams. Slice pepper into strips. Blanch pea pods with red pepper strips in boiling water for 1-1½ minutes. Drain vegetables and cool immediately in ice water (about 2 minutes). Drain and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, garlic powder and ground ginger. Stir in mandarin juice until smooth. Stir in water and soy sauce; set aside.
- Toss pork strips with salt. In a large wok or skillet, stir-fry pork strips with minced garlic, grated ginger and the light green sliced onion pieces in oil until juices run clear; remove to a platter and keep warm. In same skillet, stir-fry peas, bell pepper and light part of sliced green onion until tender. Return pork to skillet. Stir mandarin juice mixture; add to skillet. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Gently stir in oranges. Garnish with dark green onion slices and sesame seeds and serve with steamed rice or ramen noodles. For extra flavor, add red pepper flakes and more soy sauce to taste.
