Sweet and Sour Pork

Ingredients:

    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

Photo by Jonescarys01

Instructions:

~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 frying 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).

~For 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 hot over the deep-fried pork. Serve the sweet and sour pork over rice.

Credits:
Kusina Master