This is a much more traditional version of Sweet and Sour than the Anglicised bright Orange version we’re familiar with from Chinese takeaways.
Protein Ingredient:-
Pork Loin, cut into strips with the fat removed
Marinade Ingredients:-
2 Tbsp of Shaoxing Wine
½ a Tsp of Salt
Sauce Ingredients:-
¼ Tsp of Salt
4 Tsp of Cornflour
3 Tbsp of Sugar
2 Tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp of Soy Sauce (Gluten free works fine)
3 Spring Onions, green parts chopped
3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
200ml of Chicken Stock
1 Tsp of Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp of Sesame Seeds
2 Tsp of fresh Ginger, grated
½ a Red Pepper, sliced
Oil to fry
Batter Ingredients:-
2 Eggs, beaten
70g of Cornflour
Salt & Pepper to season
Method:-
(1) Place the Pork strips on a bowl with the Salt and Shaoxing Wine. Cover with cling film and pop in the fridge for 30 minutes.
(2) For the Sauce combine the Soy Sauce, Cornflour, Salt, Sugar and Vinegar in a bowl.
(3) In another bowl add the Egg, Cornflour and Salt & Pepper. Whisk you form a thick batter.
(4) Dunk the Pork in the butter in batches and ensure that it is fully coated.
(5) Fry in batches at 160c for about 3 minutes and drain on kitchen paper.
(6) Increase the heat to 180c and re-fry until crisp and golden.
(7) Heat the Oil in a frying pan and add the Garlic, Ginger and Red Pepper. Cook until fragrant.
(8) Add the Stock and bring to the boil.
(9) Add the Sauce and stir briskly until it thickens.
(10) Add the Spring Onions and stir in.
(11) Add the Pork to the Sauce.
(12) Serve over boiled Rice, garnished with sliced Spring Onions and Sesame seeds.
We really enjoyed this version. It’s easy to see how the English / Chinese rendition evolved from something similar.
A Pork Hock at £2 doesn't in it's own right either sound or look very appealing. But cooked low and slow in a casserole it was taste and very tender The vegetable in the casserole were just what we had in the fridge, any firm root vegetable will do at long as they won't turn to mush.
When I worked in the butchers many moons ago we bought Pork Hock in 20Kg boxes, bagged them and broiled them in their own juices over night in the Ham Boiler. They never lasted long in the hot counter..... Customers wandering round town with greasy chops and fingers!
Ingredients:-
1 Pork Hock
2 small Onions roughly sliced
2 Carrots cut into think batons
¼ of a Celeriac thickly sliced
1 stock cube
1 tin of Kidney Bean
Salt & Pepper
Chilli flake
Oil to rub
Method:-
(1) Dissolve the stock cube in a pint of boiling water and add a little salt and pepper.
(2) Layer the vegetable and Kidney Beans in a casserole dish.
(3) Mix the Chilli Flakes and oil are rub over the skin.
(4) Lay the meat over the vegetables and beans and pour the stock around. Add a little move hot water if the vegetables aren't submerged.
(5) Place in the oven and cook uncovered at 160c for hours. Hours and hours. Do a couple of wash loads, paint the spare room, write a book. You know, hours and hours!
(6) Once in a while baste the meat with a little of the stock.
When the meat is falling off the bone you're good to serve. We had ours with Garlic New Potatoes and deep fried Savoy cabbage to add a little colour.