Sweet 'N' Sour Sauced Pork
Submitted by Bettiemae
Sweet and sour pork made entirely in the microwave with a browning dish. Thin-sliced pork, crisp-tender veggies, and a glossy pineapple-ginger sauce served over rice. Dinner for two in 45 minutes.
YIELD
2 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
15 minREADY
45 minSweet and sour pork without a wok, a stovetop, or a deep fryer. This version uses a microwave browning dish, and it actually works.
Partially frozen pork gets sliced paper thin, then seared in sesame and vegetable oil on the hot browning dish. Carrots, green pepper strips, and scallions cook right alongside until crisp-tender.
The sauce comes together separately: brown sugar, cornstarch, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger get zapped until thick and glossy, then pineapple chunks get stirred in.
Toss it all together and serve over steaming rice. It’s a surprisingly legit stir-fry from the microwave, and it only serves two, which means no leftovers to fight over.
Kitchen Tips
- Partially freezing the pork (about 30 minutes in the freezer) makes it much easier to slice thin and even
- Stir the sauce every 30 seconds while it thickens to prevent lumps and hot spots
- Preheating the browning dish is critical. That’s what gives the pork color and a bit of sear instead of a steamed texture
- If you don’t have a microwave browning dish, this recipe adapts easily to a hot skillet or wok on the stovetop
Ingredients
Directions
Partially freeze pork.
Thinly slice into bite-size strips.
Preheat a 10-inch microwave browning dish on 100% of power for 5 minutes.
Add cooking oil and sasame oil to dish.
Swirl to coat dish.
Add the pork.
Micro-cook, covered, on 100% power for 2 to 3 minutes or until pork is no longer pink, stirring every minute.
Stir in sliced carrot, green pepper strips, and sliced green onions.
Micro-cook, covered, on 100% power for 2 to 4 minutes more or until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
Drain off liquid.
In a 2-cup measure stir togethere the brown sugar and cornstarch.
Stir in water, red wine vinegar, soy sauce and ground ginger.
Micro-cook, uncovered, on 100% power for 1½ to 1½ minutes or until thickened and bubbly, stirring every 30 seconds.
Stir in drained pineapple chunks.
Micro-cook, uncovered, on 100% power for about 45 seconds more or until pineapple is heated through.
Toss the pineapple mixture with the pork mixture.
Serve with cooked rice.
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