Celebrate fresh mango season — with pork
Pork Scaloppini With Rum-Mango Sauce Coconut Rice
Sweet, juicy Florida mangoes are at the peak of their season. In this dinner, I use them to make a quick, rum-flavored sauce for pork scaloppini. Simply buy a pork tenderloin and cut into one-inch slices and flatten to ½-inch thick.
Serve the pork with a coconutflavored rice to complete the meal. Make the rice first and set aside. The coconut milk with be absorbed by the rice.
The mango sauce calls for two mangoes, one pureed and one cubed. Here’s a quick method for cutting mango cubes:
Slice off each side of the mango as close to the seed as possible. Take the mango half in your hand, skin side down. Score the fruit in a crisscross pattern through to the skin. Bend the skin backwards so that the cubs pop up. Slice the cubes away from the skin. Score and slice any fruit left on the pit.
Quick tip
It takes a few extra minutes to prepare the fresh mangoes. Some markets carry frozen mango pulp, which also works well in this recipe.
Helpful hints
• Boneless skinless pork chops can be used instead of pork tenderloin. They are ready when a meat thermometer reads 145 degrees.
• Lite coconut milk can be found in the ethnic section of the supermarket.
• Light rum can be used instead of dark rum.
Countdown
• Make coconut rice.
• Prepare mangoes and pork.
• Make pork and sauce.
Shopping list
To buy: 2 medium-sized ripe mangoes, 1 small bottle dark rum, ¾pound pork tenderloin, 1 package microwaveable brown rice, 1 can lite coconut milk and 1 package frozen peas
Staples: vegetable oil spray, salt and black peppercorns. Yield 2 servings.
2 medium-sized ripe mangoes (to yield 1 cup pureed and 1 cup cubed)
3 tablespoons dark rum
¾ pound pork tenderloin Vegetable oil spray
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper
Slice 1 mango in half around the pit. Scoop out pulp with a spoon and puree in a food processor or blender. Add rum and process a few seconds. Set aside. Cube the other mango (See method above.)
Remove visible fat from the pork and cut into 1-inch slices. Place pork between two pieces of plastic wrap. Flatten slices to about ½-inch thick with the palm of your hand or use a meat bat.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and spray with vegetable oil spray. Brown pork for 1 minute on each side. Season each cooked side with salt and pepper to taste.
Reduce heat and cook pork another 2 minutes to cook through. A meat thermometer should read 145 degrees. Remove to a plate.
Add mango puree to pan. Cook puree for about 30 seconds, scraping up brown bits of pork as it cooks. Add the mango cubes. Toss cubes in puree for another 15-20 seconds. Spoon sauce over pork.
Per serving: 356 calories (16 percent from fat), 6.5 g fat (1.5 g saturated, 2.9 g monounsaturated), 108 mg cholesterol, 37.0 g protein, 25.3 g carbohydrates, 2.6 g fiber, 92 mg sodium. Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer Linda Gassenheimer / Tribune News Service Yield 2 servings.
1 package microwaveable brown rice
to make 1 ½-cups cooked rice ½ cup lite coconut milk
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper
Cook rice according to instructions. Measure 1 ½ cups. Add coconut milk, peas, and salt and pepper to taste.
Per serving: 254 calories (18 percent from fat), 5.1 g fat (3.5 g saturated, 0.6 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 6.9 g protein, 45.5 g carbohydrates, 4.7 g fiber, 20 mg sodium.
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer