Sublime Sweet & Sour Pork Recipe

Happy Chinese New Year to you all. Here is another favourite from my hand written recipe book that I took to university with me in 1994, and this is a Sweet & Sour Pork recipe that has served me extremely well on many occasions where some proper home cooked Chinese food was in order.

Preparation Time: c.35 mins (including time for marinade)
Cooking Time: c.20/25 mins
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients

400g Lean Pork
1 tbsp. Dry Sherry or Rice Wine
1 tbsp. Light Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Green Pepper
1 Red Pepper
4 Carrots
200g Mushrooms
1 Small Bunch Spring Onions
1 Egg, beaten
2 tbsp. Cornflour
Groundnut Oil (or Olive Oil will do)
1 Tin of Lychees, drained (or fresh orange segments)

Sauce Ingredients:

250ml Chicken Stock
1 tbsp. Light Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tbsp. Cider Vinegar
1 tbsp. Sugar
1 tbsp. Tomato Puree
1 tsp Cornflour
2 tsp Water

Method

• Cut the pork into decent sized cubes. Put the cubes into a bowl with the sherry/rice wine, soy sauce and salt and mix it around so the pork is covered by the liquid. Cover the bowl loosely and leave the pork to marinade for around 20/25 minutes.

• While the pork is having its tasty bath, cut the green and red peppers into 1″ squares. Peel and cut the carrots into cubes and trim the ends of the spring onions into cm slices. Peel & cut the mushrooms into chunky slices also.

• Bring a pan of water to the boil and blanch for 4 minutes. Drain and set to one side.
• Mix the egg and cornflour in a bowl until well blended into a batter and leave until the pork has finished its marinade time.
• Lift the pork from the marinade with a slotted spoon and place in the bowl of batter and coat each piece.
• Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan until almost smoking. Remove the pork pieces from the batter with a slotted spoon and fry them for around 5 or 6 minutes.

• Lift the pork from the pan onto a plate covered with kitchen towel and leave to dry a little.
• In a large saucepan combine the chicken stock, soy sauce, cider vinegar, sugar and tomato puree. Bring it to the boil.
• Add all the vegetables to the sauce (but not the lychees/orange segments) and stir well and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.
• Mix the cornflour and water in a small bowl and stir into the sauce and vegetables and bring to the boil while continually stirring.
• Keep stirring while boiling for a couple of minutes to help the cornflour mix to thicken the sauce.
• Turn the heat down to a simmer and add the pork and lychees/orange segments.

• Allow this to cook for around 5 or 6 minutes and mix it well a few times by stirring.
• Dish it out into a warm serving bowl and serve with rice or noodles.
• Receive compliments on your rather fine home-cooked masterpiece 🙂

过年好 / 過年好 which translates as ‘pass the new year well’.

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions about this sweet & sour pork recipe. Naturally you can swap out the pork for chicken if you prefer…personally though I think it works a bit better with pork. Enjoy, whatever you do 🙂