First Ever Sweet And Sour Pork....WOW!! (Lotsa Pics)

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tx smoker

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Original poster
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Apr 14, 2013
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Lago Vista, Texas
I have always loved Asian style food but it's been somewhat of a nemesis for me. When I was a kind we had a really nice Polynesian restaurant in town (over an hour drive) and I loved the sweet and sour pork they made. It was a mainstay for me when we went there for dinner, which wasn't very often. We had to wait till dad had some work related event in the evening then mom and I would take off and head to this place for dinner. Since then I have never had the meal as good as what they did....until last Saturday. The weather was horrid. Temps never went above mid 30's, windy, and pouring rain all day. Spent most of the day in the garage fabricating steel Christmas trees (yes, you read that correctly) and decided it would be a perfect day to make this. I had a recipe that I felt would be really good but it was gonna take a while to put it all together. Started this right at 3:00.

The culprits all cut up: red and green bell pepper, onion, pineapple, and green onions.
042.jpg


Made the sweet and sour sauce.
043.jpg


Got the rice going in my little steamer. I love this little thing!!
044.jpg


Two large center cut pork loin chops hit heavily with the jaccard.
045.jpg


Pork cut up, mixed with salt & pepper, assembly line all set up to bread the pork.
046.jpg


Pork all breaded and ready to go into the wok with hot oil.
047.jpg


First batch in the wok. I did this in 3 batches so as not to overcrowd the wok.
048.jpg


Pork all done and draining on paper towels
049.jpg


Rice done and keeping happy.
050.jpg


The culprits in line for final assembly.
051.jpg


Remove the oil from the wok that was used for cooking the pork, wipe it down, and add a couple T of fresh oil. In go the onions and garlic.
052.jpg


Cook for a couple minutes and add the bell pepper.
053.jpg


A couple more minutes and add the pineapple.
054.jpg


Mix to heat the pineapple, add the pork and sweet & sour sauce.
055.jpg


Mix to coat the meat and cook till the pork is hot.
056.jpg


Serve over rice, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
057.jpg


And the obligatory close up shot.
058.jpg


This was not a 15 minute meal, that's for sure but it was nothing short of incredible. With my lack of ability to create decent Asian inspired food I wasn't expecting a lot but was blown away. Far and again the best rendition of this meal I have ever had. Even Tracy loved it, which was a shock. She will humor me once in a while with Asian food but she's not a big fan as a general rule. This one changed her mind :emoji_wink: Deep, rich, vibrant flavors and a perfect balance of sweet and sour. This one has given me a bit of confidence to delve deeper into Asian style cooking, that's for sure. The recipe for this one is very long but if anybody would like to see it just say the word and I'll post it.

Oh well, gonna call this one a wrap. Thanks for sticking it out to the end....assuming you made it that far :emoji_laughing: Y'all take care and see everybody soon.

Robert
 
Nice Robert, I have not broke out the wok in a long while and this will do it for me, looks incredible. Can you elaborate on the sauce?

I can also see doing this with chicken, I know Tracy does not like chicken.
 
Nothing short of culinary genius Robert! Bookmarked and soon to be copied verbatim in my wok out on the patio stove, looks ideal. RAY
 
Can you elaborate on the sauce?
Thanks so much Cliff. Be happy to share the sauce. That was the easy part :emoji_laughing:

½ cup honey
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 teaspoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

I didn't want to waste a whole can of tomato paste for this small of an amount so just used ketchup instead. It came out just fine. The water and corn starch are supposed to make a slurry that you add when you put the sauce in the wok. I missed that part and just mixed it all in the beginning. No sweat. Worked perfectly. Simple stuff but really tasty.

Robert
 
I can smell that sweet and sour. That first pic with the red and green onions, the peppers and then the smell of the pineapple you know what's coming.
Nice work and write up!
 
Nice Robert, I have not broke out the wok in a long while and this will do it for me, looks incredible. Can you elaborate on the sauce?

I can also see doing this with chicken, I know Tracy does not like chicken.
I am the same way, even know the small can of paste is only about $.39 at Aldi I hate to waste it...lol
 
Robert that is one great looking dish! I’ve never ordered or eaten sweet n sour pork, but I must say it’s on a short trip to the inside of my belly. Your dish looks much better than takeout !
 
I have always loved Asian style food but it's been somewhat of a nemesis for me. When I was a kind we had a really nice Polynesian restaurant in town (over an hour drive) and I loved the sweet and sour pork they made. It was a mainstay for me when we went there for dinner, which wasn't very often. We had to wait till dad had some work related event in the evening then mom and I would take off and head to this place for dinner. Since then I have never had the meal as good as what they did....until last Saturday. The weather was horrid. Temps never went above mid 30's, windy, and pouring rain all day. Spent most of the day in the garage fabricating steel Christmas trees (yes, you read that correctly) and decided it would be a perfect day to make this. I had a recipe that I felt would be really good but it was gonna take a while to put it all together. Started this right at 3:00.

The culprits all cut up: red and green bell pepper, onion, pineapple, and green onions.
View attachment 649081

Made the sweet and sour sauce.
View attachment 649082

Got the rice going in my little steamer. I love this little thing!!
View attachment 649083

Two large center cut pork loin chops hit heavily with the jaccard.
View attachment 649084

Pork cut up, mixed with salt & pepper, assembly line all set up to bread the pork.
View attachment 649085

Pork all breaded and ready to go into the wok with hot oil.
View attachment 649086

First batch in the wok. I did this in 3 batches so as not to overcrowd the wok.
View attachment 649087

Pork all done and draining on paper towels
View attachment 649088

Rice done and keeping happy.
View attachment 649089

The culprits in line for final assembly.
View attachment 649090

Remove the oil from the wok that was used for cooking the pork, wipe it down, and add a couple T of fresh oil. In go the onions and garlic.
View attachment 649091

Cook for a couple minutes and add the bell pepper.
View attachment 649092

A couple more minutes and add the pineapple.
View attachment 649093

Mix to heat the pineapple, add the pork and sweet & sour sauce.
View attachment 649094

Mix to coat the meat and cook till the pork is hot.
View attachment 649095

Serve over rice, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
View attachment 649096

And the obligatory close up shot.
View attachment 649097

This was not a 15 minute meal, that's for sure but it was nothing short of incredible. With my lack of ability to create decent Asian inspired food I wasn't expecting a lot but was blown away. Far and again the best rendition of this meal I have ever had. Even Tracy loved it, which was a shock. She will humor me once in a while with Asian food but she's not a big fan as a general rule. This one changed her mind :emoji_wink: Deep, rich, vibrant flavors and a perfect balance of sweet and sour. This one has given me a bit of confidence to delve deeper into Asian style cooking, that's for sure. The recipe for this one is very long but if anybody would like to see it just say the word and I'll post it.

Oh well, gonna call this one a wrap. Thanks for sticking it out to the end....assuming you made it that far :emoji_laughing: Y'all take care and see everybody soon.

Robert

DROOL!!!

I ~~~LOVE~~~ Asian-inspired food (as long as it passes over/through some heat...no sushi-stuff for me!).

I made a HUGE batch of shrimp rolls from scratch once (wanted to put some in the freezer). They were delicious, but you should've seen my kitchen! Looked like a tornado went through it!
 
Nice one Robert! I also love Asian food. I doing Korean Bulgogi tomorrow. I cheating and got it mixed up and ready to cook at Trader Joe's.
 
Nicely Done Robert! Coulda fooled me that you have never made this before! Looks superb! I tend to use cornstarch or a flour cornstarch mix when I bread meat for Asian dishes in a sauce...tends to keep the breading on the meat better....YMMV.....anyways, great looking meal! Now you have me wanting Asian food!
 
I have always loved Asian style food but it's been somewhat of a nemesis for me. When I was a kind we had a really nice Polynesian restaurant in town (over an hour drive) and I loved the sweet and sour pork they made. It was a mainstay for me when we went there for dinner, which wasn't very often. We had to wait till dad had some work related event in the evening then mom and I would take off and head to this place for dinner. Since then I have never had the meal as good as what they did....until last Saturday. The weather was horrid. Temps never went above mid 30's, windy, and pouring rain all day. Spent most of the day in the garage fabricating steel Christmas trees (yes, you read that correctly) and decided it would be a perfect day to make this. I had a recipe that I felt would be really good but it was gonna take a while to put it all together. Started this right at 3:00.

The culprits all cut up: red and green bell pepper, onion, pineapple, and green onions.
View attachment 649081

Made the sweet and sour sauce.
View attachment 649082

Got the rice going in my little steamer. I love this little thing!!
View attachment 649083

Two large center cut pork loin chops hit heavily with the jaccard.
View attachment 649084

Pork cut up, mixed with salt & pepper, assembly line all set up to bread the pork.
View attachment 649085

Pork all breaded and ready to go into the wok with hot oil.
View attachment 649086

First batch in the wok. I did this in 3 batches so as not to overcrowd the wok.
View attachment 649087

Pork all done and draining on paper towels
View attachment 649088

Rice done and keeping happy.
View attachment 649089

The culprits in line for final assembly.
View attachment 649090

Remove the oil from the wok that was used for cooking the pork, wipe it down, and add a couple T of fresh oil. In go the onions and garlic.
View attachment 649091

Cook for a couple minutes and add the bell pepper.
View attachment 649092

A couple more minutes and add the pineapple.
View attachment 649093

Mix to heat the pineapple, add the pork and sweet & sour sauce.
View attachment 649094

Mix to coat the meat and cook till the pork is hot.
View attachment 649095

Serve over rice, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
View attachment 649096

And the obligatory close up shot.
View attachment 649097

This was not a 15 minute meal, that's for sure but it was nothing short of incredible. With my lack of ability to create decent Asian inspired food I wasn't expecting a lot but was blown away. Far and again the best rendition of this meal I have ever had. Even Tracy loved it, which was a shock. She will humor me once in a while with Asian food but she's not a big fan as a general rule. This one changed her mind :emoji_wink: Deep, rich, vibrant flavors and a perfect balance of sweet and sour. This one has given me a bit of confidence to delve deeper into Asian style cooking, that's for sure. The recipe for this one is very long but if anybody would like to see it just say the word and I'll post it.

Oh well, gonna call this one a wrap. Thanks for sticking it out to the end....assuming you made it that far :emoji_laughing: Y'all take care and see everybody soon.

Robert
That looks fantastic!

A long time ago I found a MAJOR game changer for what I was missing in my Asian cuisine. It was simply Toasted Sesame Oil.

This oil gives that missing Asian food flavor! Even when I make my poor mans homemade Sushi handrolls I rub a couple of drops of this stuff on the meat and WOW what a difference.

I would make Asian food and have all the right stuff and it never tasted the way I get it in Asian restaurants. Then boom this stuff was the key no one was mentioning and I was in heaven.

You may already be using it but if not go ahead and try some with a little homemade fried rice or lo mien. It gives you an excuse to use that InstantPot rice cooker some more :D

Great job on the dish!
 
I have always loved Asian style food but it's been somewhat of a nemesis for me. When I was a kind we had a really nice Polynesian restaurant in town (over an hour drive) and I loved the sweet and sour pork they made. It was a mainstay for me when we went there for dinner, which wasn't very often. We had to wait till dad had some work related event in the evening then mom and I would take off and head to this place for dinner. Since then I have never had the meal as good as what they did....until last Saturday. The weather was horrid. Temps never went above mid 30's, windy, and pouring rain all day. Spent most of the day in the garage fabricating steel Christmas trees (yes, you read that correctly) and decided it would be a perfect day to make this. I had a recipe that I felt would be really good but it was gonna take a while to put it all together. Started this right at 3:00.

The culprits all cut up: red and green bell pepper, onion, pineapple, and green onions.
View attachment 649081

Made the sweet and sour sauce.
View attachment 649082

Got the rice going in my little steamer. I love this little thing!!
View attachment 649083

Two large center cut pork loin chops hit heavily with the jaccard.
View attachment 649084

Pork cut up, mixed with salt & pepper, assembly line all set up to bread the pork.
View attachment 649085

Pork all breaded and ready to go into the wok with hot oil.
View attachment 649086

First batch in the wok. I did this in 3 batches so as not to overcrowd the wok.
View attachment 649087

Pork all done and draining on paper towels
View attachment 649088

Rice done and keeping happy.
View attachment 649089

The culprits in line for final assembly.
View attachment 649090

Remove the oil from the wok that was used for cooking the pork, wipe it down, and add a couple T of fresh oil. In go the onions and garlic.
View attachment 649091

Cook for a couple minutes and add the bell pepper.
View attachment 649092

A couple more minutes and add the pineapple.
View attachment 649093

Mix to heat the pineapple, add the pork and sweet & sour sauce.
View attachment 649094

Mix to coat the meat and cook till the pork is hot.
View attachment 649095

Serve over rice, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
View attachment 649096

And the obligatory close up shot.
View attachment 649097

This was not a 15 minute meal, that's for sure but it was nothing short of incredible. With my lack of ability to create decent Asian inspired food I wasn't expecting a lot but was blown away. Far and again the best rendition of this meal I have ever had. Even Tracy loved it, which was a shock. She will humor me once in a while with Asian food but she's not a big fan as a general rule. This one changed her mind :emoji_wink: Deep, rich, vibrant flavors and a perfect balance of sweet and sour. This one has given me a bit of confidence to delve deeper into Asian style cooking, that's for sure. The recipe for this one is very long but if anybody would like to see it just say the word and I'll post it.

Oh well, gonna call this one a wrap. Thanks for sticking it out to the end....assuming you made it that far :emoji_laughing: Y'all take care and see everybody soon.

Robert
Boy oh boy! You got some skills! From a steel Christmas tree to some great Asian food!!!! If your next thread is anything related to the squirrel family then I believe we will build bunk beds together.
 
That looks fantastic!

A long time ago I found a MAJOR game changer for what I was missing in my Asian cuisine. It was simply Toasted Sesame Oil.

This oil gives that missing Asian food flavor! Even when I make my poor mans homemade Sushi handrolls I rub a couple of drops of this stuff on the meat and WOW what a difference.
DROPS is the key word here! It's potent and will overpower so use sparingly.

But 100% concur. It really does make the difference.

Good looking pork Sir Robert
 
Man that looks good Robert. I love sweet-n-sour. So many proteins could be used. Shrimp is my fav, followed by chicken, and then pork. Your's looks fantastic.

Point for sure
Chris
 
Looks great Robert and I know it tasted great with the items used.
We have S+S quite often , in many different ways.
But just sweet and sour chicken or pork is the best, battered is my favorite and than also not battered is also nice.

Well done

David
 
Wow looks great, thanks for sharing, bought 1 of those lite cast iron Woks a few months ago and haven't had a chance to use it yet, I now know what the maiden voyage will be
 
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