Agave and Spice-Glazed Pork

If you haven't tried Match meats, I strongly recommend a little journey over to their website to check out what the fuss is all about.  The coolest thing I know about this all-vegan meat company is that they sell their beef, pork, and other mock-meats directly in the meat aisle of select grocery stores here in NYC.  Rather than relegating plant-based proteins to a special, hidden "vegan" section, I commend the company for taking back the word "meat."  Meat, after all, used to refer to any solid food, as distinguished from beverage - think of the meat of a coconut, for example.  So please don't be alarmed when you find recipes on my site referring to pork, beef, chicken, or even crab.  I do not put these things in quotations because I consider what I'm eating quite real, and have Match to thank for it.

For this dish, Match pork gets dressed up with a sweet and spicy glaze. 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• Cooking spray
• 1 pound Match pork, thawed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Whisk together the agave, mustard, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.  Divide the pork into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch thick patty.  Sprinkle evenly with the salt and black pepper.  Add the pork to the pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the agave mixture.  Continue to cook for about 10 minutes, turning the pork over halfway through.

Serve with mashed red potatoes sprinkled with fresh chives (leave the skin on for a beautifully rustic presentation) to round out the meal.

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (1 pork piece, 1 tablespoon glaze), Calories 321

Tasting Notes:
One of the best Match pork recipes I've made to date.  The glaze had a wonderful sweetness without being cloyingly so, and the touch of ginger was subtly spicy.   Much like the honey-mustard sauce I used to dip nuggets into in pre-vegan days; the sweetness accentuated the savory Match underneath. I highly recommend those mashed potatoes on the side - perfect for soaking up the last bits of glaze from the plate.

Rating:
3.5