Cantonese Sweet and Sour Pork (Crispy Pork in Sweet and Sour Sauce)

• 250 g Jasmine rice
• 400 ml Water
• 450 g Pork shoulder
• 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
• 15 g Ginger root
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 120 g Cornflour
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 140 ml Water
• 600 ml Peanut oil
• 200 ml Pineapple juice
• 60 ml Rice vinegar
• 80 g Ketchup
• 45 g Caster sugar
• 2 tbsp Cornflour
• 1 medium Yellow onion
• 1 large Red pepper

1. Rinse the jasmine rice until the water runs mostly clear, then add it to a saucepan with the water. Bring to the boil, cover, and cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes. Take off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
2. While the rice cooks, cut the pork into bite-sized pieces. In a bowl, mix the pork with the light soy sauce, then finely grate in the ginger and crush in the garlic; toss well. Leave to stand while you prepare the batter and sauce.
3. For the batter, whisk together the cornflour and baking powder, then whisk in the water to make a thick, pourable batter. In a small bowl, stir the cornflour with a splash of water from the measured amount to make a smooth slurry. Slice the onion and red pepper into chunky pieces.
4. Heat the peanut oil in a wok or deep frying pan to 180°C (355°F). Dip the pork into the batter, letting excess drip back into the bowl, then fry in batches for 3 to 4 minutes until pale golden and crisp. Lift out and drain, then fry the pork a second time for 1 to 2 minutes until deeply golden and very crisp.
5. Carefully pour off all but 1 tbsp of oil from the wok, then set it over a high heat. Stir-fry the onion and red pepper for 1 to 2 minutes until lightly blistered but still crunchy. Tip onto a plate to stop them overcooking.
6. In the same wok, add the pineapple juice, rice vinegar, ketchup and caster sugar, and bring to a lively simmer. Stir in the cornflour slurry and cook for 30 to 60 seconds, stirring, until glossy and lightly thickened. Return the pork and vegetables to the wok and toss for 30 seconds to coat.
7. Serve straight away with the steamed jasmine rice. The pork should stay crispest if you plate it as soon as it is coated in the sauce.

Made this recipe? Rate it — a comment is optional.