Pork Tenderloin Stir-Fry with Tangerines and Chili Sauce

A few weeks back I unexpectedly found myself the owner of a 4lb frozen pork tenderloin. As I stood holding it, it started to freezingly attach itself to my arms, and I thought, "What the heck do I do with 4lbs of pork???" It's a lot of pork for two people. So I hacked the thing up into a couple of pieces and stuck it back in the freezer to worry about another day.

Well, another day came and I felt I was ready to tackle the pork. Now that I could face it in a more respectable size, and something that would actually fit in my pots, it wasn't so overwhelming. Now what? Should I stuff it? Naw. Bake it whole and glaze it? Definitely not. Stir fry? Hmm...maybe. I flipped through a few of my cookbooks but nothing caught my eye so I went to one of my trustworthy go-to food sites, Epicurious and found this recipe.

This was really very delicious. The tangerines really added a great flavor and dimension to the pork without being overly fruity or sweet. Although a meal on it's own, I served this with some left over rice noodles and delicious spring rolls, which I'll share with you over the next couple of days.

Pork Tenderloin Stir-Fry with Tangerines and Chili Sauce
Printable Recipe
by Bon Appétit (November 2009), The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

• 1 1 1/4-pound pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds, then cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 4 small unpeeled tangerines or clementines, cut (with peel) into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup Asian sweet chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 6 baby bok choy, cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick ribbons, tough bases discarded
• 5 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal, divided

1. Place pork tenderloin strips in medium bowl; sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss with cornstarch to coat.
   
2. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger; stir 30 seconds.
   
3. Add pork tenderloin strips; stir-fry until pork is beginning to brown and is almost cooked through, about 3 minutes.
4. Add tangerine pieces; toss 30 seconds.
   
5. Add sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, and Chinese five-spice powder; boil until sauce in skillet thickens slightly, tossing to blend, about 1 minute.
   
6. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil, bok choy, and half of sliced green onions. Stir-fry just until bok choy is wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.
   
7. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with remaining sliced green onions and serve.