Sweet and Sour Pork

As with all stir fries, it is important to get the ingredients prepared – chopped and measured out – before you start to cook as the cooking time is quick. You can cut the vegetables and measure the sauce ingredients for this while the pork is marinating.

1. First prepare and marinate the pork.  You can sometimes buy diced lean pork from the supermarket or butcher but if not, you can cube it yourself.  You just want to aim for even, bitesize pieces so that they cook in the same time and so that you can eat the dish with chopsticks if you want.
2. Put the marinade ingredients into a bowl and mix them to combine.  Then add the pork and give it a good mix to coat.  Marinade for at least 15 minutes.
   
3. Next, prepare the sweet and sour sauce.  Put all of the sauce ingredients into a small bowl and give them a good mix.  Don’t be put off if the cornflour forms a solid mass, just keep on prodding it with a spoon or whisk and it will eventually dissolve in the liquid and become lump-free.  Set this aside.
   
4. Prepare your vegetables if you haven’t done so already:  Cut the red pepper into smallish pieces, slice the onions and chop the spring onions into short lengths.
      
5. Get the wok (or saucepan), a slotted spoon and a bowl with some kitchen paper in it to drain the fat ready.
   
6. When the pork has marinaded, heat the groundnut (peanut) oil in the wok or in a pot over a high heat.  You need sufficient oil that the pork will be completely submerged when it goes in.  When the oil is smoking, cook the pork in batches (I did 3 separate batches).  It should be golden brown and  cooked through after about 2.5 minutes.
   
7. When it is cooked, lift it out with a slotted spoon and put it in the bowl with the kitchen paper.
   
8. When all the pork has been cooked, pour the oil into a ceramic or glass bowl (something that won’t melt with the hot fat – I use a tin foil dish) and put it aside.  When cold you can put it back in a bottle to reuse or you can put it in the fridge to solidify so you can throw it in the rubbish bin – whatever you do, don’t pour it down the sink or you will have major plumbing issues.
9. Put the wok back on a gentle heat with a teaspoon or so of the oil and stir fry the onion, red pepper and spring onion for about 30 seconds to a minute until it is slightly cooked but still with a crunch.
   
10. Add the pork, pineapple and then the sauce and give everything a good stir.  Let it cook for 1-2 minutes for the sauce to thicken and to cover all of the pork and vegetables.
    
11. Serve with rice or noodles.