Asian Glazed Ontario Pork Apple Toasts

Tender, lean Ontario pork is most often considered a main course supper staple, but in this recipe, the classic pork and apple combination is modernized with fresh Asian flavour for an elegant hors d’oeuvre.

Asian glaze:
1/4 cup (50 mL) sugar
1/4 cup (50 mL)soy sauce
2 tbsp (25 mL) hoisin sauce
2 tbsp (25 mL) rice vinegar
1/2 tsp (2 mL) Chinese five-spice powder
2 tsp (10 mL) sesame oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp (25 mL) honey

1 lb (500 g) Ontario pork tenderloin, trimmed
10 challah bread slices
1/4 cup (50 mL) melted butter
2 tart apples, cored and thinly sliced
2 tbsp (25 mL) chopped chives

In bowl whisk together sugar, soy sauce, hoisin, vinegar, five-spice powder, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and honey until well combined.

Place pork in re-sealable bag. Pour 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the glaze over the pork, reserving the rest for basting (set aside 2 tbsp (25 mL) for brushing over toast). Allow to marinate overnight or up to 1 day.

Preheat greased grill to medium-high or broiler to low setting. Grill or broil pork, turning until browned on all sides and basting occasionally for about 15 minutes, until just a hint of pink remains in pork. Transfer to cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Using a 2 1/2-inch (5 cm) round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut 2 circles from each piece of bread. Transfer to a baking sheet in a single layer. Brush with butter and bake in preheated oven until bread is toasted, about 7 minutes. Top each with an apple slice and bake 3 minutes more to soften apple.

To assemble: Brush apple toasts with additional glaze. Cut pork in 1/4-inch (5 mm) slices across the grain. Arrange 1 slice over top of each apple toast. Sprinkle with chopped chives if desired.

Makes 20 pieces.

Chef’s Tip: If you are short on time, prepared Asian BBQ sauce (Char Siu sauce), found in most grocery stores can be substituted for the glaze.

Nutritional Information: Per serving: 119 calories, 7.0 g protein, 13.4 carbohydrates, .7 g dietary fibre, 283 mg sodium, 4.3 g total fat, .5 gm polyunsaturated fatty acids, 2.0 gm saturated fatty acids, 25 mg cholesterol

Source: Homegrown Ontario (www.homegrownontario.ca)