This may be my longest recipe name yet. But let me tell you it is well worth the mouthful of a name for this delicious meal. A tangy balsamic glaze enrobes the tender pork which pairs wonderfully with the orange scented orzo studded with almonds. All of this topped with a tangle of crispy rhubarb. This has sweetness, saltiness, acid what more could you wish for. My Balsamic Pork with Orange Orzo and Crispy Rhubarb has become one of my go to dishes for when I have people over to visit. It is low stress and the hands on time is fairly low as it can be done in 15 minutes once the oven has heated up.
The two elements that really make this dish are the balsamic glaze and the crispy rhubarb. The glaze is super simple and absolutely delicious just three ingredients. It is simply honey and two types of vinegar, balsamic and apple cider. This glaze is a flavour punch with sweetness, acidity and depth that when combined with the other elements makes everything sing. The crispy rhubarb is a way of incorporating this vegetable that we rarely see on a savoury dish. Tossing the strips of rhubarb in olive oil and salt make them deliciously savoury and crisp. I use a vegetable peeler to to peel strips of rhubarb if I have a lot I peel the outside pink layer and make that crispy and stew the rest with the reserved orange juice and water to make a delicious crumble.
The orzo could easily be made into a meal in itself added vegetables or leaves and maybe some crumbled feta. Here I have kept it simple with almonds, orange zest and dried cranberries. One note of caution is that orzo is easy to overcook and then you are left with gummy pasta and that is not enjoyable for anyone. I love meals with texture and that is why I’ve added in the almonds for additional crunch. These sweet notes pair with the tangy glaze and come together as a wonderful mouthful.
This meal is super quick to cook taking less than half an hour including preheating the oven and prep work. Perfect for midweek or those weekends that you do not want to waste cooking. Any dish that is this quick to make and this delicious to eat is a winner in my book. It also looks like you have made a special effort to make a nice meal, so it’s perfect for an easy entertaining evening. Sharing food with friends and family is something that makes me truly happy – and anyone will be happy if you present them with this. Looking for another half an hour meal check out my Lemon Chicken with Green Beans or my Giant Hash Brown and Eggs.
I hope you love this Balsamic Pork with Orange Orzo and Crispy Rhubarb as much as I do. If you try it let me know how you got on in the comments below. Don’t forget to tag any pictures on social media and use the #CUBBintheKitchen to be featured in my stories.
Happy Eating!
Balsamic Pork with Orange Orzo & Crispy Rhubarb
Ingredients
For Crispy Rhubarb
- 4 Stalks Rhubarb I use the outside for this recipe and stew the remaining for crumble.
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 0.5 tsp Salt
For the Balsamic Pork
- 50 ml Balsamic Vinegar
- 50 ml Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tsp Runny Honey
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
- 2 Pork Loin Steaks
- 1 tbsp Oil any vegetable oil
For the Orange Orzo
- 100 grams Orzo
- Zest 1 Orange
- Juice of Half an Orange Add the juice of the other half to the stewed rhubarb.
- 20 grams Flaked Almonds
- 30 grams Dried Cranberries or any dried fruit you prefer.
Instructions
- Get PreparedPreheat the oven to 180°C Fan or 190°C Conventional and line a baking tray with parchment paper.Trim the end of the Rhubarb if needed and wash if needed. Then using a peeler peel of the the red outside to create strips of Rhubarb (Don't be overly cautious here otherwise you wont get clean strips they will be stringy)Toss the Strips with Olive oil and Salt and place in a single layer on the lined baking tray.In a shallow dish mix up the Balsamic & Apple Cider Vinegar with the Honey and Thyme add the Pork Steaks and set aside.
- Cooking TimePlace the Rhubarb into the oven, they will take about 15 minutes I turn them half way through to ensure they are crisping well.Get a pan of water on to bring up to the boil for the Orzo. In a frying pan Heat 1 tbsp of Oil over a medium high heat. Take the Pork out of the Marinade and place in a pan cook for 5 minutes without touching it. Keep the Marinade as this will be added later.Whilst the Pork is cooking add the Orzo to the boiling water. Now is a good time to turn the Rhubarb
- Final StretchOnce the Pork has been cooking for 5 minutes turn it over and add the marinade this will need a further 4-5 minutes to thicken and cook through.Drain the Orzo once it is done (7-10 minutes) and add the Orange Zest, Juice, Almonds and Cranberries mix then pile on plates.Take the Pork from the Pan to plate and drizzle glaze over. To with the crispy Rhubarb.Enjoy
Notes
Leftovers Tip
Leftover pork makes delicious addition to bao buns and the Orzo can be made into a salad with spinach and feta added.The Rhubarb that you don’t use for this recipe dice up and add to a pan along with the juice of half an orange and few tbsp caster sugar and a splash of water. Then boil until stewed and thick and ready to be crowned with a cinnamon scented crumble.
