Sweet & Sour Pork . . . as good as take out without the breading and deep fat frying!

     Duane Newell came up with his lightened version of the breaded and fried sweet and sour pork that is often on the buffet at Chinese restaurants. He sent it to me with a recommendation to give it a try. He also said to vary it as I saw fit; took him at his word and below is my version of his recipe.

     I will tell you that Duane cooks the pineapple and the pepper along with rice; he likes the slightly sweet flavor the pineapple adds it. I achieved a similar result by using pineapple juice in place of part of the rice’s cooking liquid, and opted to stir fry the peppers. We also used smaller sizes of meat and veggies but that’s simply our preference.

     My maiden name is Newell so obviously Duane and I are related, even though it is a distant connection. We’re both from Stafford, Ks. (as is Barry) and actually grew up just about a mile from one another. Our dad’s both farmed and our mom’s were good friends (they talked on the phone at least once a day). Duane’s oldest brother is a year older than I am and his twin siblings were a couple of years younger. When the four of us were teenagers, Duane was a just a little guy!

Duane Newell on left, Barry, my mom and Duane's wife Alyce. 

Sweet & Sour Pork 

1 ½ cups dry minute rice (I used brown rice)

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

2 to 3 boneless pork chops, cut into ½” chunks or smaller

2 to 3 additional tablespoons olive oil . . . as needed
1 medium bell pepper (red, yellow or green), cut into ½” chunks or smaller

1 medium yellow or white onion, cut into cut into ½” chunks or smaller

1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup of pineapple chunks (I used canned, packed in juice & then used part of the juice to cook the rice )

Dash (or more) of red pepper flakes

For thickening solution—Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or tapioca starch) mixed w/ 3 to 4 tablespoons light soy sauce & 1 tablespoon of vinegar — rice wine vinegar preferred (be sure the soy sauce is cold in order to create a smooth solution)

1. Mise en place (advance prep) – Since stir-frying happens quickly, I cut the pork chops and vegetables into chunks as the first step in this recipe. I also drained the pineapple so I could use the juice in step #2 and used the pork chop bones to make stock. Also combined the thickening solution ingredients so that I could quickly proceed with the rest of the steps.

   

   Chunked vegetables. 

   

   Preparing pork stock.

   

   Sauce for thickening mixture.

2. Cook rice according to package directions . . . but instead of water I used ¾ cup of pork stock (I made stock from the pork chop bones) + ¾ cup pineapple juice drained from pineapple chunks.
   
3. In a wok or skillet (preferably with slanted sides), heat oil on medium high and add pork. Cook until pieces begin to brown, tossing or stirring during the process. Remove from skillet.
   
   
   
   
4. Add additional olive oil as needed and add onions and peppers. Heat remains on medium high and continue to stir and toss until veggies reach are close to the tender-crisp stage (or cook to desired degree of doneness). Then add minced garlic and cook a couple of additional minutes.
   
5. Return chicken to skillet. Add pineapple, red pepper flakes and thickening solution. Cook until pineapple is hot and sauce has thickened.
   
6. Serve over rice.

Recipe without photos . . . 

Sweet & Sour Pork 

1 ½ cups dry minute rice (I used brown rice)

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

2 to 3 boneless pork chops, cut into ½” chunks or smaller

2 to 3 additional tablespoons olive oil . . . as needed
1 medium bell pepper (red, yellow or green), cut into ½” chunks or smaller

1 medium yellow or white onion, cut into cut into ½” chunks or smaller

1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup of pineapple chunks (I used canned, packed in juice & then used part of the juice to cook the rice )

Dash (or more) of red pepper flakes

For thickening solution—Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or tapioca starch) mixed w/ 3 to 4 tablespoons light soy sauce & 1 tablespoon of vinegar — rice wine vinegar preferred (be sure the soy sauce is cold in order to create a smooth solution)

1. Mise en place (advance prep) – Since stir-frying happens quickly, I cut the pork chops and vegetables into chunks as the first step in this recipe. I also drained the pineapple so I could use the juice in step #2 and used the pork chop bones to make stock. I also combined the thickening solution ingredients so that I could quickly proceed with the rest of the steps.
2. Cook rice according to package directions . . . but instead of water I used ¾ cup of pork stock (I made stock from the pork chop bones) + ¾ cup pineapple juice drained from pineapple chunks.
3. In a wok or skillet (preferably with slanted sides), heat oil on medium high and add pork. Cook until pieces begin to brown, tossing or stirring during the process. Remove from skillet.
4. Add additional olive oil as needed and add onions and peppers. Heat remains on medium high and continue to stir and toss until veggies reach are close to the tender-crisp stage (or cook to desired degree of doneness). Then add minced garlic and cook a couple of additional minutes.
5. Return chicken to skillet. Add pineapple, red pepper flakes and thickening solution. Cook until pineapple is hot and sauce has thickened.
6. Serve over rice.

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