A favorite dish in Chinese restaurants, now you can enjoy it at home with this authentic version. Serve with hot cooked rice.

Crisp Fried Pork with Sweet Sour Sauce (Gwoo Lo Yook)

1 pound pork tenderloin

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese wine* or dry sherry

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon five spice powder*

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup warm water

1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil

1 egg white

Peanut or vegetable oil for deep frying

 

Sweet Sour Sauce:

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese wine* or sherry

3 tablespoons tomato sauce

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

1 small onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced.

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1/4 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red chilies

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

1 (8-ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained

1. For Crisp Fried Pork: Cut pork into 1/2-inch slices, then into 1-inch squares. Place pork in bowl and mix with soy sauce, wine, salt, pepper and five spice powder. Refrigerate while preparing batter.
2. Mix flour and warm water into a smooth batter with a wooden spoon, stir in oil, allow to stand for 30 minutes.
3. Beat egg white until stiff and fold into batter.
4. Heat oil in deep-fat fryer to 350°F (175°C). Dip pieces of pork in batter, and deep fry a few at a time until pork is cooked and batter golden. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Repeat process until all pork is cooked. Set aside and make sauce. Shortly before serving, reheat oil on high heat (450°F / 230°C), and once more fry pork, a few pieces at a time, for just a few seconds. This second frying makes the batter very crisp. Drain again on paper towels. Arrange fried pork on a serving platter, pour hot Sweet Sour Sauce over and serve immediately.
5. For Sweet and Sour Sauce: Combine soy sauce, wine, tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar and water in a bowl and stir until sugar dissolves.
6. In small cup mix cornstarch with about 1 tablespoon cold water.
7. Heat peanut oil in large frying pan, add onions, garlic, ginger and the remaining vegetables, except pineapple, and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add sauce mixture, bring to a boil, then stir in cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the pineapple.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

*Available in the Asian section of most grocery stores.