Sweet and Sour Pork with Apples

Made a large pork roast for guests last week and had some leftovers.  Found this recipe from Gordon Ramsey and tried it out. Quite simple, tasted yummy over some steamed brown rice and finished up the left over pork. You could also cut up pork steaks and use that as well.

Gordon Ramsay

Serves 4

Normally, uncooked pork would be cut into cubes and deep-fried before being added to the sweet and sour sauce. I’m omitting this stage to prevent the leftover pork from drying out. If you want to make it from scratch, chop a lean, boneless cut of pork into 2.5cm cubes and toss in a little seasoned cornmeal. Deep-fry for about 4 minutes until golden and crisp on the outside and cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper, then add to the vegetables with the sauce.

1 pound leftover roast suckling pig or pork loin
1 tbsp peanut oil
2 peppers, 1 red and 1 yellow, seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 pound sugarsnap peas
Small bunch of spring onions, cut into 1 inch lengths
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
Handful of roasted unsalted cashews

For the sauce

2 tsp cornmeal
3 tbsp water
2 tbsp apple juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp soft brown sugar
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
4 tbsp rice or cider vinegar
1 tsp finely grated fresh root ginger
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored (any tart apple may be used)
1 tbsp peanut oil

1 Start by making the sauce. Blend the cornflour with the water and apple juice until smooth, then mix in the soy sauce, sugar, ketchup, vinegar and ginger. Pour into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat.

2 Cut the apples into 1 inch chunks. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan or wok, then fry the apples for 1 minute on each side, until lightly golden and almost cooked through. Stir into the sauce and set aside.

3 Cut the leftover pork into 1 inch cubes. Heat the oil in a sauté pan or wok and when it is almost smoking, tip in the peppers, sugarsnap peas and spring onions. Stir-fry for 2 minutes over a high heat, then add the garlic and fry for a further minute.

4 Throw in the pork and pour over the sauce. Cook over a moderate heat, stirring well, until the pork and sauce have warmed through. If the sauce seems a little thick, add a splash of water. Sprinkle with the cashews just before serving and enjoy with noodles or steamed rice.