Tangerine Juice

It is Tangerine season, the wonderful sweet and flavorful fruit that can be eaten by hand, juiced and made into a multitude of things. This time of year, I spend a lot of time squeezing tangerines and making juice. We drink the juice just as it is and also use it in cocktails such as margaritas and screwdrivers. I love to reduce the juice down and use it as a finishing sauce, adding just a bit of butter, tangerine zest and fresh herbs at the end of reduction.  If you have more than enough tangerines, you can make a terrific syrup which can be used on french toast or pancakes by making a simple syrup from three cups of tangerine juice and 1 cup of sugar, cook it down till it is reduced to about 1 2/2 cups and put into a bottle. This will keep refrigerated for about a month. The reduced juice can also be used in place of vinegar in a salad dressing. The zest is great in rice and grain dishes, especially those with pine nuts or pumpkin seeds..

Squeeze On!

And here is one of my favorite recipes for a Pork Loin with Tangerine Curry Sauce perfect for a holiday supper:

Pork Loin with Tangerine Curry Sauce

3 cups tangerine juice
1 carrot, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped fresh curry leaf (optional)
2 leaves of fresh kaffir lime finely chopped
3 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
1 jalapeño chili or 4 Hawaiian chiles, seeded, minced
1 tablespoon toasted and ground cumin
1 tablespoon Thai red curry base
1 tablespoon palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup Thai red curry base
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled butter, cut into pieces

Combine tangerine juice, carrot, cilantro, curry leaf, kaffir lime leaf, grated fresh ginger, garlic, minced jalapeño, ground cumin, palm sugar and Thai red curry base in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil mixture until carrot is very tender and liquid is reduced by half, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Puree sauce in blender or processor in batches until smooth. Strain sauce and return to same saucepan.

Stir molasses, soy sauce, curry base and ginger in large glass baking dish. Add pork tenderloin and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove pork from marinade; discard marinade. Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and cook pork until thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 160°F, about 25 minutes. Transfer pork to platter. Tent with foil to keep warm.

Bring sauce to simmer. Remove from heat. Gradually add 6 tablespoons butter, whisking just until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut pork into 1-inch-thick slices. Serve with sauce.