Monday, January 25, 2010

Sweet and Sour Pork


I saw this recipe on my buddy, Paula's blog some time ago, and immeditately started bugging my husband to make it for me, he was happy to oblige! Her recipe was way too healthy, and he wanted it fried, so he found the recipe below and adapted it a bit, you actually fry the pork twice which makes it extra crispy.

This is better than anything you will get at a restaurant, I guarantee it!

3/4 pound pork tenderloin
2 - 3 teaspoons soy sauce
Pinch of cornstarch

Sauce:

1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water or reserved pineapple juice
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 4 tablespoons water

Batter:

1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup warm water, as needed

Other:

1 carrot
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
3 cups oil for deep-frying, or as needed

Preparation:
Directions for sweet and sour pork.
Cut the pork into 1-inch cubes. Marinate in the soy sauce and cornstarch for 20 minutes.

To prepare the sauce, in a small bowl, combine the sugar, ketchup, dark soy sauce, salt, water or juice and vinegar. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Set aside.

Peel the carrot and chop on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces. Cut the bell peppers in half, remove the seeds and cut into cubes.

Heat the oil for deep--frying to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

For the batter, combine the flour and cornstarch. Stir in the egg white and vegetable oil. Add as much of the warm water as is needed to form a thick batter that is neither too dry or too moist. (The batter should not be runny, but should drop off the back of a spoon).

Dip the marinated pork cubes in the batter. Deep-fry in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the wok. Deep-fry the pork until it is golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.(If desired you can deep-fry the pork at second time to make it extra crispy) (Make sure the oil is back up to 375 before you begin deep-frying again).

To prepare the sweet and sour sauce, bring the sauce ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, green pepper, and pineapple. Bring to a boil again and thicken with cornstarch mixture, stirring.

Check the sauce one more time and adjust seasonings, adding salt and/or vinegar if desired.

Serve sauce hot over the pork and rice.

15 comments:

Maria said...

My dad loves this dish, a classic! Yours looks perfecto!

Paula said...

OOooooh, I love it! That sauce ... yum! The twice fried pork ... amazing! The veggies ... perfect! Your guy did an awesome job. I can just imagine how good it is. Love your pretty plate, too. :-) (Thanks for the link, too!)

Foodiewife said...

I had to chuckle at the "far too healthy". Sweet & Sour pork, I think, is best enjoyed crunchy on the outside and just the way you made it (er, your husband). How I wish my husband liked to cook! I'm bookmarking this one, for when I get a craving for sweet and sour. I might even use chicken, instead. So glad you shared it. It looks like a winner.

Pam said...

Fried twice? You know this must be good! The sauce sounds really tasty too... Nicely done John.

Bethie said...

Anything fried once is wonderful, so fried twice must be FANTASTIC!

Debbie said...

Oh that just looks delicious! I think I would really enjoy that. great new pic of you....I need to update my picture already. It's almost 2 years old but it's hard to find one where I look decent.....good ones are hard to come by!! lol......

teresa said...

lol, your husband sounds like mine! this looks so good, restaurant quality! i want to dig in!

MaryBeth said...

Crispy and deep fried is the only way to go...Looks perfect!

grace said...

citrus flavors just sing when they combine with pork. and not just sing, mind you, but sing well! this sauce sounds excellent, and the entire dish is completely enticing!

Inspired by eRecipeCards said...

I have such a taste for this... thanks for the recipe, loving this post

Foodie with Little Thyme! said...

This looks wonderful. I wish I had everything in my refrigerator to make this today. I'll get a list together and make it later in the week. Thanks for sharing!

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

I'd rather have taste than healthy! I love the flavors in this, so much fresher than take out!

You lucky woman, having your husband make this for you!

Who Dat!

sophia said...

Yes, no "healthifying" this recipe, you gotta eat it the way it's meant to be: sweet and greasy! :D
I'll have it with a diet coke, please!

Unknown said...

Thank you for your lovely comment about Lemon.

This looks absolutely delicious!! I'm a lousy cook so everytime I come to visit you, I drool in awe at everything. You make it sound so easy - I really must try some of your recipes some time!

Hsin-Yi

MaryMoh said...

What a lovely meal! Sweet and sour is my family's all time favourite. I usually use chicken.

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