Broiled or Roasted Pork with Fresh Orange Sauce

Fruit juice reduces into an instant sauce, in this case almost a syrup. You can use this sauce on grilled chicken, broiled fish, even steamed broccoli. But the ultimate companion is this crusty roasted pork, which was the meat it was served on when I first ate it in Spain.

2 pounds pork country-style ribs or boneless steaks cut from the shoulder, 3/4 to 1 inch thick

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

11/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice

1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 shallot, minced

A few drops vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice, if necessary

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

• Heat the oven to 450 F or heat the broiler, putting the rack about 4 inches from the heat source. Put an ovenproof skillet large enough to hold the pork in one layer over high heat. Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper. Brown the meat quickly on both sides—about 2 minutes per side should do it—then transfer it to the oven or broiler.
• Meanwhile, combine the orange juice, cayenne, cumin, and shallot in a small skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until it reduces to about 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding a touch more cayenne and/or cumin if you like and some vinegar or lemon juice if the sauce lacks acidity. If broiling, turn the meat once. (If roasting, don’t bother.)
• Cook the pork until firm but not tough and still slightly pink in the very center (the internal temperature at the very center should be no higher than 145 F when you remove it from the heat), and transfer it to a platter.
• Combine the orange zest with the parsley. Spoon the sauce over the meat, then top all with the parsley–orange zest mixture and serve.

MAKES: 4 servings

TIME: 30 minutes