Fennel-Crusted Pork

You can make quick dinners using the vegan pork from Match meats. Make sure to transfer the pork from your freezer to fridge the night before, so it has time to thaw.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 6 tablespoons vegan chicken broth, divided (such as Imagine)
• 1 tablespoon Annie's Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 ounces Match pork, thawed
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

1. Place the fennel and coriander seeds in a spice grinder and process until coarsely ground.  Transfer the spice mixture to a food processor or blender and add 2 tablespoons broth, the Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and black pepper; process until blended.

2. Cut the pork in half horizontally, and then slice each piece lengthwise, opening flat (otherwise known as "butterflying").  Rub the spice mixture evenly over the pork.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the pork and cook for 5 minutes on each side.  Remove from the pan.

4. Add the remaining 1/4 cup broth, and cook until the liquid is nearly all evaporated (about 5 to 6 minutes), scraping the pan to remove any browned bits.  Drizzle the pan juices evenly over the pork.

For a nice side dish loaded with fresh veggies, try this simple black-eyed pea salad: in a bowl, combine 2 cups chopped and seeded tomato, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper, 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, 1 tablespoon chopped and seeded jalapeno pepper, and 1 (15-ounce) drained can black-eyed peas.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.

The pork also pairs well with a glass of your favorite (vegan) red wine:

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (3 ounces pork with pan juices), Calories 168

Tasting Notes:
The dominant flavors were the fennel and the Worcestershire sauce, an intriguing combination I can only best describe as licorice-flavored soy sauce. The sauce is quite nice over the Match pork, and I have a feeling would be great over tempeh if you're not a Match fan. The black-eyed pea salad was a little bland, but the cilantro in the salad and the coriander seeds in the pork rub played well off each other (which makes sense, of course, seeing as how they're from the same plant).

Rating:
3