JAPANESE ROLLED PORK WITH PLUMS

I’m on the roll with Jamie Oliver’s cook book. I guess I just love most of his recipes because they are pretty simple and sophisticated at the same time (don’t know if I make any sense).
This is a simple appetizer from Japan. The pork is lean and being steamed. Simple, clean and tasty dish.

JAPANESE ROLLED PORK WITH PLUMS (4 servings)

1 1/2 lbs pork loin (trim off all the fat and sinews)
10 plums
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 star anise
2 thumb-sized pieces of fresh ginger (peeled and finely grated)
2 cloves
2 heaping Tbsp brown sugar
1 small handful of fresh cilantro (washed and chopped) – optional
3-4 stalks of spring onions (thinly sliced)
Soy sauce
Salt and pepper

COOKING METHOD FOR PLUM SAUCE:

1. Wash the plums, then run a knife around them, twist them and remove the pits. Cut the halves into 1/2-inch dice

2. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the star anise, ginger and cloves for 1 minute. Add the plums and sugar with a couple of Tbsp of water, place a lid on, and simmer slowly for about 20 minutes until chunky and pulpy. Allow to cool in the fridge briefly

3. Season the plum sauce with salt and pepper and stir in half of the chopped cilantro (if you use)

COOKING METHOD FOR PORK:

1. Cut the pork into 1/4-inch slices. It helps if you put the meat in the freezer for about 15 minutes. I found it easier to slice thinly and it is important to slice it as thin as you can

2. One by one bash the slices between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, using something flat and heavy like the base of a pan, a meat hammer or a cleaver. Try to retain the pork’s shape. When each piece is around the thickness of two beer mats, carefully peel the meat away from the plastic wrap in one piece. Do this with all the meat and lay it out on a tray

3. Smear a tablespoon of the plum sauce in the middle of each slice of pork. Spread out slightly so that the sauce covers about 3/4 of each slice and roll each one up like a jelly roll. The thinner you slice the pork, the easier it is to roll them and when steamed, the meat will not “unroll” itself because of too thick of a slice

4. Put the rolls into a steamer. Place the steamer over simmering water and steam for 10-15 minutes until the meat is just cooked

5. Remove from the steamer and serve the pork on a bed of finely sliced spring onions, sprinkled the rest of the cilantro and doused with lots of soy sauce