Sweet & Sour Pork

Below, the recipe originally published on June 17, 2003.

Another traditional Chinese dish that has found its way into Filipino cuisine, sweet and sour pork is cooked with deep-fried cubes of pork loin dredged in seasoned flour and served with sweet and sour sauce. Diced vegetables make a colorful garnish. A few tablespoons of kalamansi (native lemon) juice adds a piquant flavor and aroma to this oriental recipe.

Some people want a sweeter sweet-sour souce; others prefer them to taste a little more sour than sweet. Adjust the amount of salt, sugar or vinegar to suit your taste.

Add a piece of hot chili pepper or a teaspoon of bottled chili sauce for a spicy sweet-sour sauce.

For variety, you may add include a few slices of ginger when stir frying the vegetables.

Ingredients :

1/2 k. of pork loin
3/4 c. of flour
1 tbsp. of soy sauce
salt and pepper
1 red or green bell pepper, cut in wedges
1 small carrot, cut into 1/4″ slices
2 onions, cut in wedges
3 segments of garlic, crushed
1 c. of meat broth
2 tbsp. of tomato paste
1/8 c. of vinegar
1/4 c. of sugar
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. of pepper
2 tbsp. of strained [i]kalamansi[/i] (native lemon) juice
1-1/2 tbsp. of cornstarch
1/2 tsp. of sesame seed oil
3/4 c. of cooking oil for deep-frying

Cooking procedure :

Cut the pork loin into 1-1/2″ x 1-1/2″ cubes. Season with 1 tbsp. of soy sauce. Sprinkle the flour with a little salt and pepper and mix well. Add the pork cubes to the seasoned flour and stir to coat each piece well.

Heat the cooking oil in a fryer or wok until it starts to smoke. Over high heat, deep fry pork cubes until golden brown. With a slotted spoon, transfer the pork cubes to a serving platter.

Stir together the meat broth, vinegar, tomato paste, kalamansi juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Add the cornstarch and stir until dispersed in the liquid.

Pour off the cooking oil until only about 3-4 tablespoonfuls remain. Reheat. Saute together the onions, garlic, bell peppers and carrot slices for about a minute or two or until tender-crisp. Pour in the sauce and cook over high heat, stirring, until thick and clear. Pour over the pork. Drizzle with sesame seed oil before serving.

[Edited on 7-14-06]

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