This pork dish from the Philippines is delicious and low-fat due to the lean pork tenderloin and small amount of oil in the marinade. The dipping sauce is sour, salty, savory, piquant, and full of umami. You could add “sweet” to this meal by serving a side of colorful sauteed carrots with or without a raspberry glaze achieved by adding a tablespoon or two of raspberry preserves to the carrots while you sautee them in butter.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 pounds of pork tenderloin cut into ½ inch thick medallions
¼ cup white vinegar
½ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons minced garlic
6 thin slices of ginger minced
½ teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or ¼ teaspoon chili oil)

Preparation:

Place the sliced pork in a single layer in a baking dish.
Mix the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and chili flakes and pour over pork slices.
Refrigerate and marinate about 4 hours; if necessary flip the slices over after a couple of hours to make sure both sides of the pork slices receive the marinade.
Preheat your grill or broiler.
Reserve marinade and set aside.
If broiling, broil medallions about 7 minutes per side about 4 inches from the flame
If grilling, grill over a medium-hot grill for 5 minutes per side; check doneness with an insta-read thermometer. Pork will be “medium-done” at 145 degrees and slightly pink in the middle.
While pork is cooking, bring the marinade to a boil in a saucepan and reduce by ¼. Serve as a dipping sauce for the pork.

Traditionally served with white rice and vegetables.

Adapted from: Low Fat and Loving It: Ruth Spear, Warner Books, 1991.

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