Andrea Nguyen
Author & Teacher
Send a message
My Books + App
Book trailer, info on ebook w/ video, sample content
BUY NOW @ Amazon, B&N, iBooks, IndieBound, J. Biscuit & local bookstores
* * *
Details on eBooklet, how & where to buy
* * *
BUY NOW @ Amazon, B&N, iBooks, IndieBound, J. Biscuit & local bookstores
* * *
Info on e-book w/ videos!
BUY NOW @ Amazon, B&N, iBooks, IndieBound, J. Biscuit & local bookstores
* * *
The mobile app is here!
BUY NOW @ iTunes store
« My Q&A with 5th Graders |Main
October 10, 2013Old School Sweet and Sour Pork RecipeWhy is it difficult to find good sweet and sour pork at many Chinese restaurants? I remember that in high school I used to get a darn goodversion at a Chinese restaurant in San Clemente, California, where I grew up. Okay, that was in the early1980s and the people who owned the place were kind of high-endish HongKong-ers. But really, sweet and sour pork does not need to be tiny cubes of grislymeat coated by an excessive amount of batter that are deep-fried then served coated by a maraschino-red cloyingly sweet sauce. Is that sauce sold by the gallon because it tastes the same at so many Chinese restaurants. Aiyah!
My husband and I adore southern Chinese sweet and sour pork -- what we basically think of as the quintessential dish despite their many versions in Chinese cuisine. However, we don’t order it out any more. Last week, he asked me to make it at home.The recipe I decided to try is by Christopher Tan and Amy Van. It is includedin their remarkable book on historic Chinese cooking in Singapore.
What’s withSingapore? There’s a huge Chinese community there with high standards forexcellent Asian food. In ChineseHeritage Cooking, the authors take time to distinguish the various Chinesecommunities in Singapore by spotlighting the best of their best dishes. They approach each recipe with care and thoughtfulness, loading up the recipes with practical and cultural tips. Theresult is a deep lesson in the nuances and broad spectrum of Chinese cooking.There’s also a lot of history but it’s not wonky.
Another reason why I chose this recipe was because Chris andAmy incorporate pineapple and plum sauce into the dish. There’s fresh tomatotoo. No ketchup, a modern addition, the authors say. The end result is well balanced, with a certain elegance that I've yet to experience in restaurant renditions of sweet and sour pork.
I made the dish twice last week. Yep, it’s that good. Finally, we’re going toSingapore at the end of the year and why not get into the mood by cooking its food?
Tips: For freshpineapple, look in the produce department of your grocery store. I got a tub ofpineapple cubes at Whole Foods for a few dollars. It’s enough for this as wellas nibbling. In a pinch, use frozen. If you’re desperate, use canned.
Because Idon’t like bell pepper’s strong flavor, I used a red Hatch and a green Anaheim. Yes, there's deep-frying involved but it's so worth it.
Recipe
Sweet and Sour Pork
Yield: 2 to 3 servings with 2 other dishes
Ingredients
SauceAbout 1/8 teaspoon salt1 tablespoon sugar2 teaspoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar1 tablespoon regular soy sauce2 tablespoon plum sauce3/4 teaspoon cornstarch1/4 cup (60 ml) waterRemaining ingredients8 ounces (240 g)boneless pork shoulder2 teaspoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry1 teaspoon plus about 1/3 cup (60 g) tapioca starch or cornstarch1/2 teaspoon oyster sauceScant 1/2 teaspoon regular soy sauce2 tablespoon beaten eggCanola oil for deep-frying1/4 small onion, cut into wedges3 to 4 ounces (90 to 120 g) pineapple cubes, fresh or thawedpreferred1 rounded teaspoon minced ginger3 ounces (90 g) mild red and/or green pepper, cut intothumbnail-size squares1 small ripe tomato, peel with a vegetable peeler if youlike, then cut into 6 wedges1 green onion, white part only, cut into thin slivers
Instructions
For the sauce, combine the salt, sugar, rice wine, vinegar, soy sauce, plum sauce and water in a measuring cup. Taste and adjust the flavors for pleasant tart-sweet-salty flavor. Add the 3/4 teaspoon of cornstarch and stir to blend well. Set aside.Trim and cut the pork into pieces the size of a cherry or small ice cube. Put into a bowl and add the rice wine, 1 teaspoon starch of your choice, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prep the remaining ingredients, if you haven’t, and get a pot of rice going!Heat about 3/4-inch of oil in a wok, deep skillet or low saucepan to about 350F (175 to 180C). As that happens, add the egg to the pork to coat well. Put the starch on a plate and dredge the pork. Let sit to get absorbed and set, about 3 or 4 minutes.In batches, fry the pork for 2 to 3 minutes, until pale golden. Let drain on paper towel and/or a rack. To crisp the pork, raise the heat on the oil until very hot (about 375F / 190C). Slide all the fried pork cubes back into the oil and refry until a rich brown and crisp. Re-drain. (It’s a pain in the butt to pour the oil out and clean what you just fried in, so use a clean skillet or wok for the next step.)Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Swirl in 2 teaspoons oil, then add the onion and pineapple. Fry for about 2 minutes, stirring and flipping, until the pineapple picks up some dark brown streaks. Add the ginger and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, until the peppers are crisp tender.Add the tomato and pour in the sauce. Cook, stirring, for 30 to 45 seconds, until the sauce bubbles and thickens. Add the pork and stir to combine and coat. Transfer to a serving plate, garnish with the green onion and enjoy with lots of rice.Adapted from: Christopher Tan and Amy Van’s ChineseHeritage Cooking
Related [helpful] posts:
Deep-frying tips (to help you get over your fear of frying)How to cook perfect riceHow do you like your sweet and sour pork? If you use fruit in yours, what kind? I'm thinking of trying recipes with lychees.
Posted in Cookbooks, Recipes: All, Recipes: Chinese, Recipes: Deep-Fried, Recipes: Gluten-Free Adaptable, Recipes: Main Course, Recipes: Meat, Recipes: Stir-Fry | Permalink | |
| Comments Old School Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe Why is it difficult to find good sweet and sour pork at many Chinese restaurants? I remember that in high school I used to get a darn goodversion at a Chinese restaurant in San Clemente, California, where I grew up. Okay, that was in the early1980s and the people who owned the place were kind of high-endish HongKong-ers. But really, sweet and sour pork does not need to be tiny cubes of grislymeat coated by an excessive amount of batter that are deep-fried then served coated by a maraschino-red cloyingly sweet sauce. Is that sauce sold by the gallon because it tastes the same at so many Chinese restaurants. Aiyah!
My husband and I adore southern Chinese sweet and sour pork -- what we basically think of as the quintessential dish despite their many versions in Chinese cuisine. However, we don’t order it out any more. Last week, he asked me to make it at home.The recipe I decided to try is by Christopher Tan and Amy Van. It is includedin their remarkable book on historic Chinese cooking in Singapore.
Stay Connected
Asian Tofu in the News"Informative, engaging, well written and researched, this is also the best book about tofu."— Winnie Yang, The Art of Eating
"A whole cookbook devoted to tofu? Yes, please."
— Kate Williams, Serious Eats 2012 Favorite Cookbooks
"Cooking with Tofu (Are You Serious?!)"
— Michael Rulhman on his tofu conversion
Book info, reviews, radio & TV . . .Classes & EventsHands-on @loveapplefarms, Santa Cruz
Sun, Oct 6, 12-4pm: Asian Dumplings
Sat, Oct 26, 12-4pm: Into the Vietnamese Kitchen
Sat, Nov 2, 12-4:30pm: Pho Workshop
Hands-on @SFCooking, San Francisco
Fri, Oct 18, 5:30-10:30pm: Asian Dumplings [date night!]
Sat, Oct 19, 10am-3pm: Asian Dumplings {waitlist only}
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js'%3E%3C/script%3E"));COMSCORE.beacon({ c1: 2, c2: "6035669", c3: "", c4: "http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2013/10/sweet-and-sour-pork-recipe.html", c5: "", c6: "", c15: ""});
No comments:
Post a Comment