‘Sweet & Sour Pork’ is such a popular Chinese dish and there are loads of different recipes. I often come across the dish cooked with pineapple, which I do not like. I never cook meat with fruit. This recipe is based on a recipe I learned in Japan when I was at high school. Pork can be replaced with Chicken or Fish. I have even tried with Tofu, which was quite nice.


Makes

4 Servings

Ingredients

Pork Scotch Fillet 400 to 500g *block OR steaks
Salt & White Pepper
Potato Starch Flour 3 to 4 tablespoons
Oil for frying
Onion 1
Green Capsicum 1
Carrot 1 to 2

Sweet & Sour Sauce Ingredients

Water 1/4 cup
Sugar 2 tablespoons (OR 3 tablespoons if you like sweeter flavour)
Rice Vinegar 3 tablespoons
Soy Sauce 3 tablespoons
Sake (Rice Wine) 3 tablespoons
Ketchup 2 to 3 tablespoons
Potato Starch Flour 1 tablespoon

Method
  1. Cut Pork into 2 to 3cm pieces. Place in a large bowl, season with Salt & Pepper. Coat with Potato Starch Flour, then carefully deep fry in hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes until golden. You can fry them in not-so-deep oil in a frying pan if your prefer.
  2. Place all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
  3. Cut vegetables into 2 to 3cm pieces. Carrots need to be pre-cooked. Boil the carrot pieces in a sauce pan until just cooked and still crunchy. Drain the water.
  4. Alternatively you can cook carrot pieces using microwave. Place the carrot pieces in a heat-proof bowl, cover with water, place a plate on top to cover, and cook for 2 minutes or until just cooked. Drain the water.
  5. Heat 1 tablespoon Oil in a frying pan over high heat, cook Onion and Capsicum. When the onion changed the colour, add pre-cooked carrot and fried pork.
  6. Stir the sauce once again and mix it well, then add it to the mixture. The sauce will thicken immediately. Stir the mixture to combine well and serve with rice.