October 17, 2009

Sweet and Sour Pork



Sweet and Sour Pork or "goo lou yok" in Cantonese dialect is a classic dish served in many Chinese restaurants. It is crispy fried pork glazed with a sweet and tangy sauce and bell peppers or pineapple. I find the sauce in the restaurant abit too sweet and too much coloring to my taste--here's my version.
Ingredients:
¾ lbs. pork tenderloin or shoulder pork, trimmed and cut into 1" cubes
1½ tsp. light soy sauce
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
Oil for deep frying
Sauce:
¼ cup light brown sugar
3 Tbsp. ketchup
2 Tbsp. plum sauce
2 Tbsp. Thai Sweet Chilli sauce, optional
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch, dissolved in some water
Batter:
½ cup flour
½ cup cornstarch
1 egg white, lightly beaten
½ cup warm water, as needed
Garnishing:
1 carrot, sliced thinly
1 medium sized onion, sliced thinly
1 of each red and green pepper, sliced
Method:
1. Marinate meat in soy sauce and cornstarch for 20 minutes.
2. In a bowl, combine brown sugar, ketchup, plum sauce, vinegar ingredients together, and season to taste. For a spicy sauce, add the chilli sauce if desired. Set aside.
3. For the batter, mix flour and constarch. Add in the egg white and enough warm water to form a thick batter that is not too dry or too moist. (The batter should not be runny, and should slide off the back of the spoon)
4. Heat enough oil for deep frying. Dip the marinated pork in the batter. Deep fry in small batches until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.
5. In a pan over medium heat, add enough oil and stir fry the onions, carrots, and bell peppers. Add the sauce and bring to fast boil and thicken with the cornstarch mixture, stirring and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, sugar and/or vinegar if desired.
6. Ladle hot sauce over pork and serve with rice.
Printable Recipe

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