Sweet & Sour Pork — Cantonese Style

Ingredients

• 500g pork shoulder or loin, cut into 2.5cm cubes
• For the marinade: 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• For the coating: 1 egg, beaten
• 100g potato starch or cornflour
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying (about 1 litre), plus 1 tbsp for stir-frying
• For the sauce: 4 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 4 tbsp rice vinegar
• 4 tbsp caster sugar
• 100ml pineapple juice (from the tin)
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water
• 1 onion, cut into chunks
• 1 red pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 green pepper, cut into chunks
• 150g tinned pineapple chunks in juice, drained (keep the juice)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Method

1. Mix the pork with the marinade ingredients and leave for 15 minutes. Stir in the beaten egg, then toss the pork in the potato starch, pressing it on so each piece is thickly coated.

2. Heat the oil for deep-frying in a deep, heavy-based pan to 170°C. Fry the pork in 3 batches for 4 to 5 minutes until golden and cooked through. Drain on a wire rack.

3. Mix the ketchup, vinegar, sugar, pineapple juice and soy sauce in a bowl.

4. Heat the 1 tbsp oil in a clean wok over a high heat. Stir-fry the onion and peppers for 2 minutes, add the garlic and stir for 15 seconds.

5. Pour in the sauce and bring to the boil. Stir the cornflour paste, add it and simmer for 1 minute until glossy and thickened.

6. Increase the oil to 190°C and refry the pork for 1 minute until extra crisp. Drain well.

7. Add the pork and pineapple to the sauce, toss quickly for 20 seconds so the pork stays crisp, and serve at once with steamed rice.