(Abbreviated from) The Key to Chinese Cooking, written by
Irene Kuo, drawings by Carolyn Moy, Australia 1978
Ingredients:
1/2kg/1 pound boneless loin of pork, cubed; 4 cups of oiI; ¼
cup cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Marinade:
½ tsp salt; 2 tspn light soy sauce; 1 tsp sesame oil; 1
tblsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tblsp water; 1 egg yolk, beaten
Seasonings:
5 tblsp sugar; ½ tsp salt; 4 tblsp distilled white vinegar;
3 tblsp light soy sauce; 2 tblsp dry sherry; 3 tblsp catsup; 1 large clove
garlic, lightly crushed and peeled; 1 tblsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 tblsp
water; 1 tblsp sesame oil; ½ cup water; 1 cup canned pineapple cubes
2 tblsp oil
Method:
Trim excess fat from the pork cubes. Toss in marinade.
Sauce:
Mix the sugar, salt, white vinegar, soy sauce, sherry and
catsup in a bowl, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Crush and peel the
garlic. Dissolve 1 tblsp cornstach in 3 tblsp water and add 1 tblsp sesame oil,
set aside. Measure out ½ cup water and set it aside. Drain the pineapple cubes
and set aside.
Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat until hot, then
turn heat to medium. Add 2 tblspn oil, swirl, and toss in the garlic, flipping
and pressing it in the oil a few times. Then pour in the sauce seasonings
slowly as you stir with the back of a spoon in a circular motion until the liquid
comes to a boil.
Turn heat low, add the cornstarch mixture, stirring
circularly, until the sauce begins to thicken. Then add the water slowly as you
stir in circular motions until the sauce is smooth and bubbly. Turn off the
heat.
Final cooking:
Heat a wok or large heavy saucepan over high until hot; add
4 cups of oil and heat until it foams a cube of bread snappily, about 350°F/175°C.
While the oil is heating, dredge the marinated meat cubes in the cornstarch and
flour mixture. Shake off excess flour and drop them into the hot oil and fry
for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Lower the heat slightly and continue
to fry, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Turn off the heat and scoop out the meat
with a skimmer or slotted spoon to drain on paper towels for about 1 minute. (If
you haven’t made the sauce yet, use this lull to do so). Heat a small amount of
this oil in a fry pan, return the pork cubes to the oil and stir fry until
crisp and brown.
Bring the sauce to a simmer over low heat; discard the
garlic. Turn heat to medium high, add the pineapple cubes, and stir for 30
seconds or so to heat them through. Scoop out the meat from the oil with a
skimmer or slotted spoon, pause over the fry pan to drain, then scatter the
cubes into the sauce; turn heat to high and stir in fast, using flipping and
turning motions with a spoon or spatula to glaze the meat. Pour immediately
into a hot serving dish.
