Sugar-Free Sweet And Sour Pork Recipe

Cooking Directions

• STEP 1.Trim and cut 12 oz of pork tenderloin into ⅔ inch cubes. Place them in a mixing bowl.
• STEP 2.Add 3 minced cloves of garlic, 1 tsp finely minced ginger, 1 tbsp soy sauce, ½ tsp salt, 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch, 1 egg white and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Mix well by hand to ensure that all the ingredients are well combined.
• STEP 3.Cover the bowl and let the pork marinate for 20 minutes.
• STEP 4.In a mixing bowl, add ½ cup cornstarch, ⅓ cup all purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp five spice powder. Whisk together till well combined.
• STEP 5.In a flat bottomed bowl container, sprinkle the prepared flour mixture to form a layer. Then add the pork one piece at a time so that they do not stick to each other. Sprinkle some more flour over the pork and shake the bowl to toss the pieces of pork in the flour til they are well coated.
• STEP 6.Take the pieces of pork out of the bowl and shake off excess flour. Place them in a tray. Work in batches and complete this process with all the pork pieces.
• STEP 7.Let the coated pork rest for 20 minutes till their surface becomes moist, else the dry starch on the pork will fall off during deep frying and ruin the quality of the oil.
• STEP 8.To make the sauce, in a small saucepan add 1 ½ tbsp tomato paste, ½ cup of no sugar added ketchup, 1 tsp salt, 5 to 6 tbsp of monk fruit sweetener with Erythritol (which is a zero glycemic, white sugar replacement). Mix together and then add 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch. Continue to mix well to ensure that no lumps are formed.
• STEP 9.Add 3 tbsp white vinegar and ⅓ cup of water. Whisk to dissolve lumps.
• STEP 10.Add 5 to 6 finger length pieces of fresh orange peel. Do not dice.
• STEP 11.Keep the sauce mixture aside.
• STEP 12.In a wok heat 2 ½ cup oil for deep frying the pork to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
• STEP 13.When the oil has reached the correct temperature, carefully add the pork pieces.
• STEP 14.Add the pieces of pork one at a time to prevent them from sticking to each other. Do not crowd the wok.
• STEP 15.Fry the pork in batches on medium heat till they are light yellow. Maintain the temperature of the oil. Gently stir to separate the pieces and ensure that they cook evenly.
• STEP 16.Using a sieve, take the pork out of the wok and drain off the excess oil back into the wok.
• STEP 17.Let the pork rest for 10 minutes.
• STEP 18.Heat the same oil to 400 degrees fahrenheit and return all the pork pieces to the wok at the same time.
• STEP 19.Fry them for 1 to 2 minutes till they turn golden brown.
• STEP 20.Then take them out of the wok and place them on kitchen paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
• STEP 21.To cook the sauce, place the saucepan with the prepared sauce mixture on low heat
• STEP 22.Stir it continuously with a whisk for 4 to 5 minutes till it reaches a thick creamy texture. Turn off the heat and set it aside. The cornstarch will continue to thicken the sauce as it cools, so take the sauce off the heat before it is too thick.
• STEP 23.Heat the wok again and add 1 ½ tbsp oil, ½ cup cup mixed bell pepper cut into chunks, 1 ½ cup pineapple cut into chunks.
• STEP 24.Stir fry on high heat for a few minutes. Do not over cook. The vegetables should still be firm and crunchy.
• STEP 25.Next add the fried pork to the vegetables and toss together.
• STEP 26.Then pour the cooked sauce over the pork and vegetables and mix well till they are well coated.
• STEP 27.Serve hot with white rice.

Special Comments

• STEP 1.Pork shoulder or pork loin can also be used for this recipe.
• STEP 2.This recipe can be made with chicken breast, shrimp or fish instead of pork.
• STEP 3.If five spice powder is unavailable, curry powder may be used for this recipe.
• STEP 4.To prepare this recipe with less starch, coconut flour or almond flour can be used.
• STEP 5.Do not use the white part of the orange peel as the preparation will turn bitter.