Asian Glazed Ontario Pork Apple Toasts

Tender, lean Ontario pork is most often considered a main course supper staple, but in this recipe, the classic pork and apple combination is modernized with fresh Asian flavour for an elegant hors d’oeuvre. Asian glaze: 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 tbsp hoisin sauce 2 tbsp rice vinegar 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder 2 tsp sesame oil 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tbsp honey 1 lb Ontario pork tenderloin, trimmed 10 challah bread slices 1/4 cup melted butter 2 tart apples, cored and thinly sliced 2 tbsp chopped chives

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In bowl whisk together sugar, soy sauce, hoisin, vinegar, five-spice powder, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and honey until well combined. Place pork in re-sealable bag. Pour 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the glaze over the pork, reserving the rest for basting (set aside 2 tbsp (25 mL) for brushing over toast). Allow to marinate overnight or up to 1 day. Preheat greased grill to medium-high or broiler to low setting. Grill or broil pork, turning until browned on all sides and basting occasionally for about 15 minutes, until just a hint of pink remains in pork. Transfer to cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Using a 2 1/2-inch (5 cm) round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut 2 circles from each piece of bread. Transfer to a baking sheet in a single layer. Brush with butter and bake in preheated oven until bread is toasted, about 7 minutes. Top each with an apple slice and bake 3 minutes more to soften apple. To assemble: Brush apple toasts with additional glaze. Cut pork in 1/4-inch (5 mm) slices across the grain. Arrange 1 slice over top of each apple toast. Sprinkle with chopped chives if desired. Makes 20 pieces. Chef’s Tip: If you are short on time, prepared Asian BBQ sauce (Char Siu sauce), found in most grocery stores can be substituted for the glaze. Nutritional Information: Per serving: 119 calories, 7.0 g protein, 13.4 carbohydrates, .7 g dietary fibre, 283 mg sodium, 4.3 g total fat, .5 gm polyunsaturated fatty acids, 2.0 gm saturated fatty acids, 25 mg cholesterol Recipe in full Source: Homegrown Ontario

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