Sweet And Sour Pork


1 lb. lean pork tenderloin, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
cooking spray
1/3 cup chicken stock or 1/2 teaspoon chicken base or bouillon and 1/3 cup water
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
1/4 cup sake or dry sherry
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon Oriental sesame oil, divided into two 1/2 teaspoons
1 large red or yellow onion, chopped into large chunks
2 cloves fresh garlic, pressed or minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, minced
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1 large red pepper, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
2 medium carrots sliced 1/8-inch thick on the diagonal
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons warm water


1. Toss pork with tablespoon light soy sauce and marinate for 30 minutes. Combine stock or bouillon, vinegar, sake or sherry, dark soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, sugar and white pepper in a bowl and set aside.

2. Spray a 4 to 6-quart Dutch oven or covered pot with cooking spray and heat on medium for 2 to 3 minutes. Toss pork with flour and add to preheated pan. Stir-fry pork, turning often until meat loses raw color and flour has left a golden brown glaze on bottom of pan. Pork will stick to bottom of pan because of flour. This is fine, just gently pry meat from pan’s surface and continue to stir-fry.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low and add onions, garlic and ginger; stir-fry with meat until onions are soft and browned from de-glazing bottom of pan. If necessary, add small amount of stock or sake to keep onions from drying out and help in the de-glazing process.

4. Add reserved stock mixture, pineapple, peppers and carrots to pork and increase heat to medium-high. Stirring frequently, bring pork to a gentle boil; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 1 hour.

5. Return heat to medium, bringing to low boil. Stirring constantly, add cornstarch/water mixture and cook 3 to 4 minutes more. Remove from heat and serve over 1 cup steamed rice.

Yield: 6 servings at approximately 250 calories; 4 grams total fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 43 milligrams cholesterol; 38 grams carbohydrate; 2.2 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams protein; 840 milligrams sodium.

1 cup steamed rice contains approximately 170 calories; 0 fat; 0 cholesterol; 38 grams carbohydrate; 0 dietary fiber; 4 grams protein; 0 sodium.

Recipes from the Lighten Up, The Art of Low Fat Gourmet Cooking, by Mary E. Ross

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