Sweet and Sour Pork (糖醋里脊)

 

INGREDIENTS

• 450 gr pork loin (or tenderloin) , cut to 2-cm pieces
• 1/2 cup cornstarch

Marinade

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1 egg , beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons tomato sauce (maggi)
• 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Stir-fry

• 1/3 to 1/2 cup peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
• 2 green onions , sliced
• 2 cloves garlic , minced

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the pork pieces, vegetable oil, and salt in a big bowl. Mix well and let marinate for 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.

Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

When you’re ready to cook, add the beaten egg into the bowl with the pork. Stir to mix well. Add the cornstarch. Stir to coat the pork until it forms an uneven coating with a little dry cornstarch left unattached.

Heat the oil in a heavy-duty skillet until hot, until it just starts to smoke. Add the pork all at once and spread it out into a single layer in the skillet. Separate the pork pieces with a pair of tongs or chopsticks.

Cook without touching the pork for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bottom turns golden. Flip to brown the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the pork to a big plate and remove the pan from the stove. Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes.

Place the pan back onto the stove and turn to medium heat. You should still have 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan. Add the green onion and garlic. Cook and stir a few times until it releases its fragrance, a few seconds.

Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely. Pour it into the pan. Stir and cook until it thickens, when you can draw a line on the bottom with a spatula without the sauce running back immediately.

Add back the cooked pork and stir to coat with sauce, about 30 seconds. Transfer everything to a plate immediately.

Serve hot as a main over steamed rice.