The Everything Chinese Cookbook (39 page)

1 pound pork loin, center cut, deboned and cubed

1 tablespoon soy sauce

3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ red bell pepper

½ green bell pepper

¼ pound baby carrots

3 tablespoons flour

2 medium eggs

cup rice vinegar

½ cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup ketchup

½ cup reserved pineapple juice

¼ cup water

2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 4 teaspoons water

4–6 cups oil for frying

cup canned pineapple chunks

1. Take the pork cubes and add the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and baking soda. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1½ hours.
   
2. Blanch the peppers and carrots in boiling water. Deseed and cube the green and red pepper. Cut the carrots in half.
   
3. Combine the flour, cornstarch, and eggs into a batter. Coat the pork in the batter. Add 4–5 cups oil to the wok and heat to at least 350°F. Deep-fry the pork cubes in batches, turning occasionally, until they turn golden. Remove and drain on paper towels.
   
4. Increase the oil temperature to 400°F. While waiting for the oil to heat, bring the rice vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, reserved pineapple juice, and water to boil in a small saucepan. Turn the heat down to low and keep the sauce warm.
   
5. When the oil is ready, add the pork cubes. Deep-fry a second time until they turn brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.
   
6. Remove all but 2 tablespoons oil from the wok. When oil is hot, add the carrots. Stir-fry for a minute and add the red and green peppers.
   
7. Bring the sauce back up to a boil. Add the cornstarch-and-water mixture, stirring vigorously to thicken. Add the pineapple.
   
8. Push the vegetables up to the sides of the wok and add the sauce in the middle. Add the pork back into the wok. Mix through and serve hot.
   

½ pound boneless pork

½ red bell pepper

½ green bell pepper

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 slices ginger, chopped

3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying

1 teaspoon hot bean paste

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1. Boil the pork in water for 20–25 minutes. Remove and cool. Cut into thin strips.
   
2. Blanch the peppers by plunging briefly into boiling water. Cut into thin slices.
   
3. Add 3 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the ginger, garlic, and hot bean paste with garlic. Stir-fry briefly until the garlic and ginger are aromatic. Add the peppers and stir-fry. Mix in the dark soy sauce and sugar. Add the pork. Combine all the ingredients thoroughly and stir-fry for about 1 more minute. Serve hot.
   

Pork — Not the “Other White Meat”

Pork may be the “other white meat” in the West, but in China the words pork and meat are virtually synonymous. When it comes to beef, cows and oxen have traditionally been valued more as work animals than as the main source of protein at the dinner table. By contrast, economical pigs are cheaper to feed, requiring less grazing space. While beef is now widely enjoyed in northern China, it is still not uncommon for southern Chinese families to rely primarily on pork as their main source of meat.

1 pound boneless pork loin chops

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 carrots

2 slices ginger

½ cup Plum Sauce (page 19)

3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying

2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

1. Cut the pork into cubes. Add the soy sauce, cornstarch, and baking soda. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for 90 minutes.
   
2. Peel the carrots and cut into slices about ½ inch thick. Blanch by plunging into boiling water and draining.
   
3. Add 2 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the pork. Stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok and drain on paper towels.
   
4. Add 1 tablespoon oil. When oil is hot, add the ginger slices and stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the carrots and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add the Plum Sauce and bring to a boil.
   
5. Add the pork. Stir in the green onions. Mix everything through and serve hot.
   

Eastern and Northern China