Sweet and Sour Pork

My mom took Chinese cooking classes when she was pregnant with my sister, Lisa.  I have not found decent Chinese food since I moved out of California so I am very thankful to have my mom's recipes.  My mom liked making her own Chinese food so she knew what kind of meat (gristle free!) went into it.

This recipe is from "The Kitchen of Gladys Lee." I will put in my mom's handwritten comments in parentheses. My mom's classes were at Foster City Recreation Dept and they took shopping trips to Chinatown in SF.  I will be sharing more of these recipes as they are all delicious.  This is the best sweet and sour pork I have ever tasted.

Sweet and Sour Pork:

Ingredients:
1 lb raw lean pork (pork loin butt), cut into 3/4 inch square
2 medium size green peppers
1 cup pineapple chunks, drained, save pineapple juice
5 cups peanut oil
1/4 cup corn starch  - - - - - -1/4 cup flour

To Marinate Pork:
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp corn starch
1 egg yolk
dash MSG (I left this out)

Seasoning Sauce:
1/3 cup vinegar
3 TB brown sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tsp sesame oil
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 tsp light soy sauce
2 TB corn starch and 2 tsp of water to make paste

Preparation:
1. Pound pork with the back of cleaver to tenderize, then cut into 3/4 inch squares. Soak with marinating sauce for at least 1/2 hour.
2. Cut green pepper into halves, remove seeds and membranes, cut into 3/4 inch squares - - set aside.
3. Heat 5 cups oil. Coat each piece of pork with 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 cup flour mixture. When oil is ready, fry pork until brown and well done (3 minutes). Take out and let pork cool for ten minutes.  Heat oil again and fry pork once more until crispy. Remove pork and drain off oil from frying pan.
4. Put back into pan 2 TB oil, fry the green pepper. Add the seasoning sauce and corn starch paste.  Stir constantly until thickened.  Add pineapple. Turn off heat, add pork, mix well and serve.