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The Flat Possum Gazette Test Kitchen Courtesy of the Road-Kill Press |
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The Flat Possum Gazette Test Kitchen Courtesy of the Road-Kill Press |
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= Sweet and Sour Pork =
If you prefer, you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces, in place of the dead hog meat. I prefer pork. I think this should be served with steamed white rice, and I prefer "Texmati" (developed by Texas A&M). I also use a rice cooker because it will cook the rice to exactly the same consistency every time, and will keep it warm as well while I am cooking other stuff.
3/4 pound pork tenderloin, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 Tbls. Soy Sauce, (I use dark soy sauce because it has less salt than the light)
1 Tbls. Dry Sherry (Dry Sack works fine)
Sweet and Sour Sauce, made as follows:
1/4 Cup red wine vinegar
1/4 Cup sugar
2 Tablespoons. tomato sauce
2 Tablespoon
Pineapple Juice
1/4 teas. kosher salt (Kosher salt is pure salt, with no
additives, plus I think the Rabbi has had something to do with it.)
3 Tablespoons peanut or canola oil
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced ginger
4 green onions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 medium bell peppers, preferably 1 yellow and 1 red (for color) cut into large
dice, but green bell peppers and usually cheaper and will work fine.
1/2 small pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into large dice. (Canned pineapple
chunks are a perfect substitute)
1 Tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with 2 Tbls. water or chicken broth
Steamed Rice (You could probably use egg noodles and all sorts of stuff here, if
you are a mind to)
Toss pork with soy sauce and sherry in a small bowl. Set aside.
Prepare Sweet and Sour Sauce.
Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Add 1 tablespoon oil, then half of the pork, and stir fry until meat is seared and just cooked through. Spoon cooked meat into a serving dish and keep warm. Add 1 more tablespoon oil to cooking vessel and repeat with remaining pork. Transfer second batch to serving dish, keep warm. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, ginger and green onions and stir-fry until crisp but starting to soften, about 30 seconds. Add peppers and stir-fry until crunchy but starting to soften, about 1 minute more. Add pineapple and stir fry until vegetables are tender-crisp and hot, about 1 minute.
Return pork to cooking vessel, then add Sweet and Sour Sauce and stir-fry to coat. Add cornstarch mixture and stir-fry until juices are saucy and glossy. (How's that for a description? Hell, I've seen women that I thought were saucy and glossy.) If too thick, stir in a tablespoon of water or broth. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
Frank Potter