Sweet & Sour Pork

Directions:

Trim fat and cut pork into 1 inches.

Add pork pieces to marinade, coat thoroughly and marinate for 15-20 minutes.

Cut onion, celery, red and green peppers, and carrots. Set aside for stir-frying.

Drain pineapple and save juice.

Prepare batter by combining ingredients and adding enough water to create a thick batter. You don't want it to be runny.

Prepare the sauce by adding all the ingredients to a sauce pan and whisking thoroughly. Over medium-high heat, bring mixture to a boil stirring frequently. Lower heat to a simmer. Add thickener (cornstarch and water mixture) and whisk thoroughly to mix. Keep sauce on very low heat--just enough to keep warm. Alternatively, take off heat and reheat before adding it at in the last step.

Dip pork pieces in batter and place on a dish to prepare them for frying. Add enough oil to a wok to deep-fry the pieces. Once the oil is hot enough (test by adding a drop of batter to see if it sizzles) start adding the pork pieces. Work in small batches so you don't overcrowd the wok. This will ensure even heating and browning. Once the pork is golden brown, remove the pieces and drain on paper towels.

Optional: For extra crispy pork, you can do a second deep-fry. Just be sure the oil is hot enough. This is not necessary, but it does make the pork a lot crispier.

Clean out wok, reheat and add enough oil to stir-fry the veggies. Add the onions, celery, carrots and bell peppers. Stir-fry to a little less then desired final texture. Add the pineapple chunks in the last 30 seconds. This dish is better if it is a little crunchy, so be careful not to overcook. And remember there is always some residual cooking. We find just a couple of minutes (1-2 minutes) is perfect.

Add pork and sauce to wok, heat and mix well.

Serve over white rice.

Optional: Garnish with chopped green onions (utilizing just the green portions) and sesame seeds. We used one green onion, finely chopped the green portions, then flowered the remainder by running a knife along the stalk to separate it out, then soaking in ice water to get the ends to open up.