When I'm cooking Cuban food, I have my familiar go-to items. I can make a good sofrito (sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper) in my sleep. And usually my marinade of choice is Bitter Orange (Naranja Agria). That is, until I found Ponzu.
*cue angelic chorus*
I am crazy-in-love with the citrusy goodness that is Ponzu. It's a lot like my beloved bitter orange, but with a lovely can't-quite-put-my-finger-on-it (I think they call it "umami") flavor. So, when the good folks at Mitsukan asked me if I had a favorite Ponzu recipe I would like to share, I was way ahead of the game.
I had already been experimenting with Ponzu for a while. And while chicken is a quick and easy no-brainer, it was the Pork Roast that really got my family's attention. Because I'm Cuban, pork is my favorite white meat. I'm determined to use the Ponzu as a substitute for Bitter Orange whenever possible.
I'm also determined to eat pork whenever possible, but that's not important right now. ;-)
Ponzu Roasted Pork
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 three pound pork sirloin roast
- 1/4 cup Mitsukan Ponzu
- sea salt
- 4 garlic cloves - crushed
- 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1/4 cup water
1. Preheat oven to 325º degrees F.
2. Pour most of the Ponzu on the pork roast - reserve about 3 Tbsp. of the ponzu to make the sauce.
3. Salt the roast heavily and sprinkle with crushed garlic.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for about one hour. (Longer if you have the time.)
5. Place the roast in a cast iron or heavy bottom pan.
6. Roast at 325º for 45 minutes. Basting occasionally with sauce. Turn if desired.
7. Continue roasting for another 45 minutes, or until internal temperature of the roast reaches 155-160º.
8. Remove roast to platter to rest before slicing.
9. While roast is resting, strain juices into sauce pan. Add brown sugar and water. Stir until sugar is melted and mixture starts to bubble.
10. Pour glaze over roasted pork.
11. Serve immediately over white rice.
Buen Provecho!
By the way, this recipe can easily be made in the crockpot. Use a little more ponzu and salt liberally. If you can, turn the roast over halfway through cooking. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. You can easily make the glaze with the drippings.
I prefer this recipe roasted because the roast slices better. But in the crockpot, you will have melt-in-your-mouth-falling-apart awesomeness.
{Disclaimer. Thanks to Mitsukan for providing the delicious ponzu marinade for my own culinary pleasure and review. They did compensate me for trying the product. The opinion that it is awesome, is my own.}
The pork roast was to die for. The family kept asking, "What did you do differently?"
"It was nothing at all. I just added some magic." *blushes and takes a bow*
