Pork 'to die for' and a Martha Stewart pie

Kathy Grimshaw recently attended a reception at Government House and had some thinly sliced barbecue pork that she says "was to die for." I wrote to the office of the Lieutenant Governor and was told that the pork served at Government House events is prepared off site in Chinatown. Fortunately, Her Honour, Anita Lee, is an accomplished cook in her own right, and she very kindly sent along her personal recipe.

Last week, a reader noticed a picture of what looked to be a rhubarb crumble pie on the front of the Wednesday food section. Unfortunately, a recipe for that particular pie was not included in the article, so I searched one out, adapting a recipe from Martha Stewart, who really knows her pies.

I'd like to (belatedly) thank Edna Mroz, Donna Lane, Norine Goulet, Beth Weber and Janis Tabak for sending in recipes for apricot slice. (Because of a mail delay, I didn't get their contributions in time for last week's column.) Norine is also hoping someone might have a recipe that used angel food cake, cut into pieces and layered in a pan, along with a lemon curd that contained lemons, cream, egg yolks and egg whites whipped and folded in (and possibly marshmallows). She lost her recipe in a basement flood.

If you can help with a recipe request, have your own request, or a favourite recipe you'd like to share, send an email to recipeswap@freepress.mb.ca, fax it to 697-7412, or write to Recipe Swap, c/o Alison Gillmor, Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6. Please include your first and last name, address and telephone number.

Barbecue lean pork

15 ml (1 tbsp) oyster sauce

2 ml (1/2 tsp) white pepper

5 ml (1 tsp) salt

5 ml (1 tsp) sesame oil

45 ml (3 tbsp) honey

15 ml (1 tbsp) light soya sauce

45 ml (3 tbsp) ketchup

30 ml (2 tbsp) cooking wine

500 g (1 lb) pork tenderloin or lean pork, cut lengthwise into strips if necessary

Preheat oven to 205C (400F). In a shallow container, make a marinade by mixing together all ingredients except pork. Add pork and marinate in the refrigerator for an hour. Place pork in a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes, then turn pork and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven, brush lightly with vegetable oil, and slice thinly crosswise into serving pieces.

Tester's notes: This was just delicious, with a spicy-sweet amber-coloured coating and moist meat. I used a small pork tenderloin and cooked it whole, but if using a larger cut of pork, you will need to cut lengthwise into strips about that size (roughly a 5 cm or 2 in diameter). I placed the tenderloin on a rack to keep it from sticking in the marinade, and I basted it once or twice while cooking (discarding the unused marinade afterwards, since it contains raw meat juices). I found the 40-minute cooking time was just about right. Avoid overcooking since the lean cut can dry out. Health Canada recommends cooking pork until a meat thermometer reads 71C (160F), though many chefs now cook to 63C (145F), leaving the meat just slightly pink at the centre.

Enlarge Image

Barbecue lean pork (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

Rhubarb crumble pie

Pastry for 1 x 22 cm (9 inch) single-crust pie

Crumble topping:

175 ml (3/4 cup) all-purpose flour

75 ml (1/3 cup) light brown sugar, packed

45 ml (3 tbsp) granulated sugar

pinch salt

85 g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

Rhubarb filling:

800 g (1 3/4 lb) rhubarb, ends trimmed, cut crosswise into 2 cm (3/4 in) pieces (about 1.4 L, or 6 cups)

250 ml (1 cup) granulated sugar

30 ml (2 tbsp) cornstarch

pinch salt

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 33 cm (13 in) round. Fit dough into a 22 cm (9 in) pie plate and trim dough, leaving a 2.5 cm (1 in) overhang. Fold overhang under, press to seal and crimp as desired. Refrigerate about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 205C (400F). Meanwhile, prepare crumble topping: In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugars and salt until combined. Work in butter with fingertips until clumps form. Prepare rhubarb filling: In a large bowl, toss rhubarb with sugar, cornstarch and salt. Pour rhubarb filling into pie shell; sprinkle evenly with crumble topping. Reduce oven heat to 190C (375F) and bake pie until topping is browned and crust is lightly browned, about 90 minutes. (Rotate halfway through cooking time. If topping or crust is browning too quickly, tent pie with foil.) Let pie cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

Tester's notes: A simple, old-fashioned and very good rhubarb crumble pie. If using thick rhubarb stalks, you'll need to cut them lengthwise.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 6, 2012 D5