Sweet and Sour Pork

Rewelacyjne, choc marudne do zrobienia

Many, many moons ago, when I did not really begin to understand how to cook ‘Chinese’, this recipe came to me as a revelation, eye opener, dinner party fare..  It remains a favourite, even if it is somewhat demanding in preparation. I strongly recommend you try it – even though it is not cleanly Chinese, it is close enough to love it.  Shrimp can be prepared the same way.

basic ingredients

•  1 pound lean boneless pork (tenderloin would fit nicely)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup flour
• ¼ cup chicken stock
• 3 cups flavourless veg oil

sauce

• 1 tbsp flavourless veg oil
• 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 large green pepper, seeded and cut into ½ inch squares
• 1 medium carrot, cut into 2 inch strips ¼ wide and ¼ inch thick
• optional: any vegetables you have, cut in compatible pieces
•  ½ cup chicken stock
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 4 tbsp red-wine vinegar
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water

PREPARE AHEAD

1. trim pork of any excess fat and cut meat into 1 inch cubes
2. in a large bowl, mix together the egg, ¼ cup cornstarch, ¼ cup chicken stock and salt. Set aside.
3. for the sauce, prepare oil, garlic, green pepper, carrot (any other vegetables you want), chicken stock, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and cornstarch mixture. Chicken stock, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce can be mixed ahead of time.

COOK

1. just before cooking add the pork cubes to eggs and flour mixture, stir until well coated
2. preheat oven to 250F/120C
3. pour 3 cups of oil into the wok and set over the high heat
4. when oil almost begins to smoke, drop half of the meat cubes into the wok, one by one
5. fry 5-6 minutes until pork crisp and golden. Do not burn
6. remove pork with slotted spoon and place in a disk in the oven
7. fry the other half of meat and place in the oven
8. if you have any leftover egg-flour, pour it in gently and fry too

MAKE SAUCE

1. pour any remaining oil or use a heavy skillet (large)
2. pour in a tablespoon of oil, swirl around the pan and let heat for about 30 sec (if oil smokes, turn down the heat)
3. add garlic, the carrot, then green pepper and any other veggies, gradually
4. when veggies somewhat done, pour in the chicken stock, vinegar, sugar and soy sauce mixture
5. boil rapidly for about 1 minute (until sugar dissolved)
6. give the cornstarch mix a swirl and add to pan
7. cook a moment longer, stirring constantly

When sauce thick and clear, pour entire contents over the fried pork and serve