WHAT’S COOKING: Sweet and sour pork with lychees
Fruit and pork draw each other like lovers at first sight. China’s sweet and sour pork legacy is one of its most delicious gifts to the world. Pineapple and lychee have flavour profiles that are a natural fit. And fresh ginger lends zing to both of those. This recipe is republished from 2022 while Tony Jackman is on leave.
Fruit and pork share a natural affinity for each other. Sweet and sour pork, a beloved Chinese dish, has won the hearts of people worldwide. The addition of pineapple and lychee to the classic recipe is a perfect match, enhanced by the sharpness of fresh ginger.
For this recipe, one pork fillet weighing around 400g is needed, though a slightly larger one can be used if desired. Fresh lychees, with their pits removed, are ideal, but canned lychees can also be used along with some of the syrup from the tin.
When the cooked pork pieces are reintroduced to the sauce, the remaining cornflour on their surface thickens the sauce, a kitchen trick that can be applied to other recipes featuring chicken, beef, or even firm fish or prawns.
Tony's Sweet and Sour Pork with Lychees, a dish for two, calls for the following ingredients: 400g pork fillet, sliced thinly; 2 heaped tablespoons of cornflour; enough wok oil for shallow frying; 12 fresh lychees, peeled and pitted; 2 tablespoons of pineapple juice; 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon of rice wine; 1 tablespoon of water; 4 sliced spring onions; 1 centimeter piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced; 2 sliced green chillies; and coriander leaves for garnish.
To prepare the pineapple-lychee sauce, combine 2 tablespoons of pineapple juice with rice vinegar, water, and rice wine. Set this aside until ready to use. Coat the thinly sliced pork in cornflour, shaking off any excess. Heat oil suitable for wok cooking in a deep pan or wok over moderately high heat. Fry the pork in batches for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy, then drain on kitchen paper.
Stir fry the spring onions, ginger, and chillies briefly in the pan, then add the lychee-pineapple juice-vinegar mixture and bring it to a boil. Add the pork and lychees and stir-fry for one minute until the sauce thickens, thanks to the cornflour on the pork's surface. Serve with rice, garnished with the reserved spring onion green parts and a few coriander leaves.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
