This recipe is almost like a sweet and sour Chinese pork, but not quite.
I am not saying that it is bad. Honestly, I have never really cared for the Americanized version of sweet and sour pork. It is sickly sweet to me. Not really my idea of a great savory dish.
This was not that.
Yes, it was a little on the sweet side. But all the sweetness comes from the pineapple and a very small amount of brown sugar. I really think the brown sugar is there to give it some color more than anything else.
I used a large pork roast and cut it down into strips. This worked great as I was able to leave a little of the fat on the meat, which of course makes is more moist.
I also cooked the onion and green pepper in a little butter before adding them to the final dish. I just felt that it would be better if they were a little on the softer side. It just didn’t seem like they would cook all that much if added according to the recipe.
If you wanted a stiffer vegetable, by all means, follow the recipe. If you want a little softer vegetable, sauté them a little first.
The pineapple chunks heat nicely in the limited amount of time they are in the pan.
The dish was lovely served over rice. The pork was tender, the pineapple had a lovely tart sweetness.
SWEET SOUR PORK
2 Pounds Pork Shoulder, Cut Into 2 Inch Strips
1/4 Cup Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
2 Tablespoons Drippings
1/2 Cup Water
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Can Pineapple Chunks
1 Green Pepper Julienned
1 Onion, Sliced Thin
Dredge meat in seasoned flour and brown well in drippings. Add water, cover pan, and simmer for 1 hour. Combine cornstarch and sugar. Add vinegar, soy sauce, and juice drained from pineapple. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thick and clear. Pour sauce over meat. Add pineapple, green pepper, and onion. Heat through. Serve over rice or noodles.
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