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From: mjs@inmet.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.cooks
Subject: Re: SQUAW BREAD again and now CHINESE - (nf)
Message-ID: <1718@inmet.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 19-Aug-84 00:44:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: inmet.1718
Posted: Sun Aug 19 00:44:38 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 21-Aug-84 04:28:09 EDT
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#R:decwrl:-324700:inmet:3500047:000:3731
inmet!mjs    Aug 17 19:54:00 1984



     This is a recipe for Sweet and Sour Pork, but I'm sure you can  modify
it  for Sweet and Sour Chicken.  (From 'The Chinese Restaurant Cookbook' by
Barbara Myers.)

    Preparation:
    1 pound lean pork (pork loin or tenderloin)

     Trim off fat, then cut pork into 3/4-inch cubes.  Cut half way through
the  center  of each to ensure that the pork cooks through without becoming
dry.  Set aside in a shallow bowl.

    Marinade:
    1 tb cornstarch
    1 tb dark soy sauce
    1/4 tsp salt
    1 egg yolk

     Dissolve the cornstarch in the soy sauce.  Add the salt and egg  yolk;
mix.  Add marinade to pork cubes; mix and let stand at least 1/2 hour.

    Coating:
    1/4 cup cornstarch

     Roll pork cubes, one by one, in the cornstarch,  shaking  off  excess.
Set  aside  on  a rack until the cornstarch is partially dampened, about 20
minutes.  (If this stage is omitted, the cornstarch will disperse into  the
oil during frying.)

    1 green pepper
    1 - 2 long thin carrots
    2 slices canned pineapple

     Cut ends from green pepper. Cut ends in 1-inch triangular pieces, dis-
carding  core.   Shake  out  seeds from remaining piece and split one side.
Lay out flat and, with a cleaver held almost flat,  trim  off  and  discard
spongy  membrane.   Cut  pepper  into 1-inch triangular pieces.  Set aside.
Peel carrots, then roll-cut to make 1/2 cup.  Bring 2 cups water to a  boil
in  a  small  saucepan.   Add  the  carrots  and return to a boil; blanch 2
minutes; rinse to cool.  Add to green pepper.  Drain pineapple; cut  slices
in sixths.  Set on plate, separately, with pepper and carrots.

    Sweet and Sour Sauce:
    4 tb white rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar
    4 tb sugar
    4 tb chicken broth or water
    2 tsp light soy sauce

     Combine these ingredients in a small bowl.

    1 clove garlic

     Mince and set aside to season the oil for Sweet and Sour Sauce.

    3 cups peanut or corn oil for deep-frying
    2 tb peanut or corn oil
    2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tb water

     Have oils and dissolved cornstarch at hand; do not combine.

Deep-Frying the Pork:

     Heat the 3 cups oil to 350 F in a wok.  One by one add half  the  pork
cubes.   Fry  2  minutes, or until light brown.  Remove with a strainer and
set aside on a plate while frying the remainder.  Let second batch cool  at
least 5 minutes.

     Reheat the oil to 375 F.  Return all of the pork cubes to the oil  and
fry  1 to 2 minutes longer, or until golden brown.  (Test a cube at minimum
time by cutting in half; the  pork  should  be  juicy  but  cooked  through
without  a  trace  of  pink.) Remove and drain on paper toweling, then keep
warm in a 250 F oven while preparing the Sweet and Sour Sauce.

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

     Pour off the oil from the wok; rinse.  Heat over highest heat to  dry.
When hot, swirl in 1 tb of the peanut oil.  Add the garlic and sizzle a few
seconds.  Add the green pepper and carrots.  Stir-fry 1  minute,  or  until
the pepper turns a brighter green.

     Add the Sweet and Sour Sauce mixture.   Stir  to  dissolve  the  sugar
while  bringing  to  a boil.  Add the dissolved cornstarch; cook, stirring,
until the sauce thickens and is clear.

     Add the pineapple and pork.  When heated through, stir in the  remain-
ing  1  tb  oil  to  make  the sauce glisten.  (The pork should be hot when
added, or it will soften in the sauce by the time it is reheated; the cubes
should remain crisp.)

Serving:

     Transfer the contents of the wok to a serving platter; serve hot.

     (Note: the sauce will not have the same color as it  does  in  restau-
rants.   This  is because they add red food coloring or tomato sauce to the
sauce to make it redder.)