Photo: Anna Williams; Styling: Pam Morris
Asian spices give this barbecue sauce a complex flavor, which enhances the sweet-tart flavor of the plums. Once it's cooked, set aside 2 1/2 cups sauce to serve with the pork, and use remaining to baste as it cooks.
How to Make It
Step 1
Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons canola oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add sugar and the next 10 ingredients (through star anise); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes or until plums break down and sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Discard cloves and anise.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 450°.
Step 3
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle pork evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add pork to pan; sauté 7 minutes, turning to brown on all sides.
Step 4
Transfer pork to a foil-lined jelly-roll pan; coat with 1/2 cup plum sauce. Roast pork at 450° for 15 minutes. Remove pork from oven. Turn pork over; coat with an additional 1/2 cup plum sauce. Roast 10 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of pork registers 155°. Remove from pan; let stand 10 minutes. Slice crosswise. Serve with remaining plum sauce.
Chef's Notes
MyRecipes is working with Let's Move!, the Partnership for a Healthier America, and USDA's MyPlate to give anyone looking for healthier options access to a trove of recipes that will help them create healthy, tasty plates. For more information about creating a healthy plate, visit www.choosemyplate.gov.
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