Sweet n Sour Pork
Ingredients
- For the sauce:
- 1 orange (zested and juiced)
- 2 T Corn Starch / Corn Flour
- 2 T soy sauce
- 3 T rice vinegar
- 2 T tomato paste
- 2 T Sugar (Brown)
- 500 mL pork stock (as needed, or use chicken or vegetable stock)
- The rest:
- 1.125 Kg boneless leg of pork (skin and excess fat removed; meat cut into 2" pieces)
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 c chopped onion
- 1 green bell pepper (cored, deseeded, and sliced)
- 1 red bell pepper (cored, deseeded, and sliced)
- 1 T chopped garlic
- 25 g grated ginger
- 4 green onions (trimmed and cut into ribbons)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4.
2. Prepare the sauce: zest the orange and place in a measuring jug. Squeeze and strain the juice from the orange into the jug and then add the corn starch, soy sauce, vinegar, tomato paste, and sugar. Stir well and make up to 600mL with stock.
3. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof pot. Add the pieces of pork (half at a time) and brown them lightly all over. Remove from the pot and set aside.
4. Add the onion and peppers to the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes, until slightly softened.
5. Add the garlic and ginger to the pot and cook for about 30 seconds, just until aromatic.
6. Return the pork to the pot and add the sauce. Mix gently and bring to a boil, then cover the surface with greaseproof paper to prevent excess evaporation. Cover the pot with a lid and cook in the oven for 2 hours, until the pork is tender.
7. Sprinkle the green onions over the finished dish and serve with rice or noodles.
Notes
SJ Note 5 June 2012: This was pretty good. We had it with noodles; I think it'd be better (easier to eat) with rice. It needs more vegetables, so you might want to stir fry some to have with it. Also cut the meat smaller, either before cooking or before serving. Might want to marinade the meat before cooking it, too. This isn't like the sweet and sour I've had at Chinese restaurants either in the US or the UK, but it was good.