I’ve been looking at doing this recipe again for a few weeks, but had never gotten around to doing it. MM doesn’t really do Chinese style food, so I don’t make it often. However, this recipe, found in Food Network Magazine, is something in which he’ll grudgingly partake.
Sweet and Sour Pork
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, divided
- Kosher salt
- 2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 3 Tbsp ketchup
- 3 Tbsp sugar, plus a pinch
- 3 Tbsp peanut oil (vegetable can be substituted)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, thinly sliced
- 3 scallions, cut into 1/2 in pieces
- 3 c snow peas, cut in half
Directions
Toss the pork with 1/2 Tbsp vinegar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Mix the remaining 2 Tbsp vinegar, the soy sauce, corn starch, ketchup, 3 Tbsp sugar, 1/3 c water, and 1/2 tsp salt in another bowl.Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large skillet or walk over high heat. Add the pork and slowly stir until it turns mostly opaque, about 2 minutes. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate. Discard the oil and wipe out the skillet.
Heat the remaining oil in the skillet, then stir-fry the garlic with a pinch each of salt and sugar, about 15 seconds. Add the carrots and scallions and stir-fry until crisp tender, 2 minutes (add a little water if the garlic sticks to the skillet). Add the pork, snow peas and soy sauce mixture; stir until the pork is cooked through and sauce is thickened about 3 minutes.
I highly suggest getting all your ducks in a row with this recipe before starting it. You won’t have time to do any chopping while the pork is being cooked. If you really want to save time, cut the pork tenderloin the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator with the balsamic overnight.
The sauce might be a little unconventional, but it tastes really good! Again, I don’t make a lot of Chinese food, so I’m not entirely sure that ketchup and balsamic are typically part of the staples.
Next is cooking up the pork. Now, in the past I’ve gotten one of the Hormel vacuum packed pork tenderloins, but the grocery store didn’t have them. I was forced to use their own brand, and I have to say, it turned out pretty well.
I usually have baby carrots on hand more often than full carrots, so I throw about 6-8 of those (sliced, of course) in.
Last, you get to throw everything together – the stir-fried veggies, the pork, the peas and the sauce. Make sure you read the signs at the grocery store and get yourself some snow peas, as the recipe requests. I wasn’t paying attention and got plain old pea pods this time around. It didn’t taste bad, but wasn’t what I was expecting. (Well, at least I know I can’t flat out ruin the recipe that way…)
And voila! A super good, very fast weeknight dinner!
