Five Spice Pork with Asian Slaw Recipe

By
Kerry Saretsky
a photograph of Kerry Seretsky, a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Kerry Saretsky

Kerry Saretsky interned at Serious Eats in 2008, and wrote the French in a Flash recipe column. She also writes her own blog on modernized French cuisine called French Revolution Food.

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Updated August 30, 2018
20120924FiveSpicePorkAndSlaw.jpg
Kerry Saretsky

How can anything with this much flavor be this easy to make? I start with lean pork loin and crust it in salt and Chinese five-spice powder, which you can pick up premixed in any supermarket. I quickly sear it on the stove, throw in some whole mushrooms, and leave them to to roast in the oven for less than 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, I toss together a quick, zingy slaw: cabbage, cilantro, and green onion lightly dressed in mayonnaise, rice vinegar, and sriracha. I slice the warm pork into medallions, and serve it on the spicy-cool slaw, crowning it all off with the roasted mushrooms and salted peanuts. All in one pot and half and hour.

Recipe Details

Five Spice Pork with Asian Slaw Recipe

Active 30 mins
Total 30 mins
Serves 2 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1-pound boneless pork loin roast
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder, divided
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 5 ounces mixed mushrooms such as button, oyster, or hen of the woods
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • Up to 1 tablespoon sriracha (to taste)
  • 1 quart shredded green or napa cabbage (about 1 small)
  • 4 green onions, finely sliced
  • 1 cup (about 1 bunch) roughly chopped fresh cilantro
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Directions

  1. Arrange the oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Season the pork with salt, and coat in 1 tablespoon five-spice powder. Preheat oil in a heavy stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add pork and cook until first side is well-colored, about 4 minutes. Flip pork.

  2. Add mushrooms and remaining 1/2 teaspoon spice powder to skillet and stir to coat mushrooms in oil and spices. Transfer the pan with the pork and mushrooms to the oven and roast until the pork registers 145°F on an instant read thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a platter and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

  3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, water, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Add cabbage, green onion, and cilantro. Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper.

  4. Slice the pork into thick rounds. To serve, place a mound of the slaw on a plate, and top with the sliced pork. Scatter the mushrooms on top, and crown with chopped peanuts.

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