John's Sweet & Sour Pork 🇨🇳

 

This recipe which bears the name of my husband John is certainly not his recipe, but this is his all time favourite dish.  He told me that with his mother being Jewish, he grew up in Scotland not eating pork.  Soon after the passing of his mother, he visited a Chinese restaurant in Glasgow where he had his first taste of sweet and sour pork, and absolutely loved it.  That was more than 40 years ago. I am still unable to wean him off this Cantonese takeaway classic to this day.  Traditionally, the pork is battered and deep fried.  I shallow fry them in just ⅓ cup of oil.  There are three main steps involved: cooking the pork, the vegetables and the sauce separately, all done in the same wok (without having to wash up in between).  Plate up just before serving.  Use lean, tender pork fillet that cooks quickly in hot oil, red and green capsicums for their colour and crunch, and fresh pineapples for their sharp, sweet bites.  Serve with plenty of jasmine rice.

Serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS

• 400g / 14oz pork fillet
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese Shaoxin wine
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ cup cornflour, plus 1 tablespoon extra to make up a slurry
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 medium size red capsicum
• 1 medium size green capsicum
• ½ cup pineapple chunks
• 1-2 spring onions, cut into 2.5cm / 1" lengths

For the sweet and sour sauce:

• 4 tablespoons malt vinegar or rice vinegar
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 1 table tomato ketchup
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce

METHOD

1. Cut pork fillet crosswise into 1cm / ½" thick slices, then cut each slice in half.   Marinade the pork with soy sauce and Shaoxin wine in a bowl for 20 minutes. 
2. Remove seeds and white ribs of capsicums.  Cut into 2.5cm / 1" squares.
3. Mix ingredients for the sauce in a bowl.
4. In a small dish, mix 1 tablespoon cornflour with 2 tablespoons water.
5. Mix the pork slices with a beaten egg, then coat them with ½ cup of cornflour using a pair of tongs.  
6. Heat half of the oil in a wok until very hot.  Add half of the pork slices, and separate them quickly using the edge of your metal spatula and spread them out.  Let them fry in the hot oil undisturbed for about 2 minutes until the edges of the slices begin to brown.  Turn the slices over to fry the other side until golden brown.  Remove to a large plate lined with paper towels.  Repeat with the other half of the oil and the remaining pork.  Keep the cooked pork in a warm oven.
7. With the residual oil in the wok, add the chopped garlic and sauté the capsicums for no more than 1 minute to retain their crunch.  Add the pineapple chunks and spring onions.  Sauté for another minute.  Remove from the wok and transfer them onto a serving platter.
8. In the same wok, add the sauce and bring to a boil.  Stir cornflour mixture with a spoon and then add to the sauce.  Stir until the sauce is thickened and translucent.
9. Arrange the cooked pork on top of the vegetables on the serving platter.  Pour the sweet and sour sauce all over the top.  Serve hot.