Sweet and sour pork is another popular Chinese restaurant dish. There are several variations of this amazing recipe. Some chefs choose to batter and fry the pork and then either coat it with sweet and sour sauce or serve the sauce on the side as a dip. Other cooks simply stir fry the pork with vegetables and then add in the sauce. The recipe below is an example of this second version, using the technique of velveting to keep the pork moist and smooth in the final dish. Try this delicious recipe and let me know what you think in the Chinese food forum. Enjoy!

2 lbs lean pork
1 medium sweet white onion
1 medium green pepper
1 medium red pepper
1 tbsp peanut oil

Pork marinade:
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sherry
1 egg white
1 ½ tbsp cornstarch
½ tbsp peanut oil

Sweet and Sour Sauce Ingredients:
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup white sugar
¼ tsp ginger
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tsp cornstarch

1. Remove all the fat from the pork, dice it into ½ inch cubes, and put it in a container to be marinated.


2. Marinate the pork in steps by first adding the salt, soy sauce, and sherry and stir.


3. Next add the egg white and slowly stir to coat each piece without frothing the egg.


4. Then with your finger tips sprinkle on the cornstarch, coating each piece.


5. Add the oil and stir, and let sit at room temp for 20-30 minutes.


6. While the pork marinates, prepare the vegetables.


7. Cut off the ends of the onion and peel. Then cut it into ½ inch pieces and set them aside.


8. Cut both the red and green bell peppers in half and remove all of their seeds. Then cut them into ½ inch pieces and set them aside.


9. Prepare the sauce by stirring together the vinegar, sugar, ginger, soy, and ketchup in a small non stick pot. Cook on high, stirring constantly until all of the sugar has dissolved.


10. In a small cup, mix together the cornstarch with a little water.


11. While stirring continuously, bring the sauce to a boil. Once it boils, add the cornstarch mixture and stir until thick. Remove the pot from the heat and set it aside.


12. Once the pork has marinated, bring a pot of water to boil so that we can velvet the meat. The process of velveting will make the pork silky and moist in the final dish. To velvet, we simply want to drop the meat in the boiling water and let it cook for just 1 minute. Just until it turns white. Remember, we don’t want to overcook it.


13. Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and set it aside.


14. In a non stick pot or wok, heat the oil on high. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and peppers and stir fry them for 3 minutes. Then add pork and stir fry for just 1 minute more.


15. Add the sauce and stir until everything is coated. Remove from the heat and serve.


16. This is wonderful on top of steamed white rice. Makes about 3 servings.