Barbecued Pork on Rice

- 1 pork tenderloin, trimmed of excess fat
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder
- 1 hard-boiled egg, peeled
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1½ cups water
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
- Jasmine rice, cooked according to package directions
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 green onion, trimmed and thinly sliced
Instructions:
This is not a typical barbecue. You will find yourself asking for more once you've tried this Asian version of what Americans think of as an indigenous.
- Slice the tenderloin into medallions approximately ¼- inch thick. Place the medallions in a mixing bowl.
- Combine the sugar, soy sauce, and 5-spice powder in a small bowl.
- Pour the soy mixture over pork strips and toss the strips until thoroughly coated. Let marinate at least 30 minutes, but preferably overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pork pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. Reserve any leftover marinade.
- Bake the pork for approximately 1 hour. The pork with be firm and rather dry, but not burned. It will also have a reddish color.
- Place the reserved marinade in a small saucepan and heat to boiling. Turn off the heat and add the peeled egg, rolling it in the sauce to color it. Remove the egg and set it aside. When cool enough to handle, slice it into thin pieces.
- Combine the flour and water, and add it to the marinade. Bring to a boil to thicken, then remove from heat.
- Add the vinegar and the sesame seeds. Adjust seasoning by adding additional sugar and/or soy sauce.
- To serve, place some Jasmine rice in the center of each plate. Fan a few pieces of the pork around 1 side of the rice. Fan some cucumber slices and sliced hard-boiled egg around the other side. Spoon some of the sauce over the pork and sprinkle with the green onion slices.