酸甜肉

Sweet-and-Sour Pork

Although sweet-and-sour pork is often thought of as a Western invention, it is in fact Chinese. In the original version, the pork is light and crispy and served in a piquant sweet-and-sour sauce. If you like it with pineapple, add 320 g (2 cups) of cubed pineapple.

serves 4

600 g (1 lb 5 oz) centre-cut pork loin, trimmed

1 egg

100 g (3½ oz) cornflour (cornstarch)

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, cubed

1 red capsicum (pepper), cubed or cut into small triangles

2 spring onions (scallions), cut into 2 cm (¾ inch) lengths

150 g (5½ oz) Chinese pickles

250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) clear rice vinegar

80 ml (2½ fl oz/¹/₃ cup) tomato sauce (ketchup)

300 g (10½ oz/1¹/₃ cups) sugar

oil for deep-frying

Cut the pork into 2 cm (¾ inch) cubes and put it in a bowl with the egg, 75 g (2½ oz) of the cornflour and 2 teaspoons water. Stir to coat all of the pieces of pork.

Heat a wok over high heat, add the oil and heat until very hot. Stir-fry the onion for 1 minute. Add the capsicum and spring onion and cook for 1 minute. Add the pickles and toss together to combine. Add the rice vinegar, tomato sauce and sugar and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 3 minutes.

Combine the remaining cornflour with 80 ml (2½ fl oz/⅓ cup) water, add to the sweet-and-sour mixture and simmer until thickened. Set aside.

Fill a wok one-quarter full of oil. Heat the oil to 180°C (350°F), or until a piece of bread fries golden brown in 15 seconds when dropped in the oil. Cook the pork in batches until golden brown and crispy. Return all of the pork to the wok, cook until crisp again, then remove with a wire sieve or slotted spoon and drain well. Add the pork pieces to the sauce, stir to coat, and reheat until bubbling.

Deep-frying the pork gives it a crispy, well-browned outside while keeping the meat inside very tender.