锅包肉 Sweet and Sour Pork with Black Vinegar Leek and Cilantro

 This is another version of Sweet and Sour Pork that is made with Chinese black vinegar, leek and cilantro. A very different flavor from the more known Sweet and Sour Pork with Ketchup and Sesame which you can find a recipe for here.

 A Chinese friend recommended I learn to make this one. This is her favorite Sweet and Sour Pork dish. Both are equally delicious to me with totally different flavors. Both have been a big hit in our home and with our neighbors and friends. If you are a fan of Sweet and Sour Pork then this is a must try.

Ingredients
2 lbs pork tenderloin (you can also use chicken breast)
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
4-5 inches leek (white part only), thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. ginger, minced or grated or 1 tsp ginger ground dry ginger

Marinade:
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp cooking wine

Batter:
1/2 cup starch
4 tsp. oil
water as needed

Sauce ingredients:
1/4 cup black vinegar
1/3 sugar
1tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp water

oil for deep frying

Tenderize the pork with a meat hammer or the back edge of a clever until it feels floppy like a fish. Cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. Mix salt and cooking wine with meat and let sit 30 min.

Mix starch and oil into the meat, add water to make a thin sticky paste but not too thin because you want it to be able to evenly coat the meat. Should look something like this.

Heat oil for deep frying over medium high to high heat depending on the heat source you are using. Pick up pieces of meat, making sure they are evenly coated in batter, and fry (no more than 3-4 pieces at a time) until they turn white then remove. Make sure the pieces of meat don't touch while frying because they will fuse together. You don't want to dry out the meat so it is important that you only fry until the color is white and no more pink is visible. 

Once all the meat is fried turn the heat up to high if it is not already on high, wait a couple minutes then put all the meat into the oil at once and toss until they turn a light golden color. Remove and set aside. Clean the wok.

 Mix the Sauce ingredients. Turn the heat to medium high and add sauce ingredients. Stir constantly until the sauce starts to thicken.

 Add the meat, leek, ginger and cilantro and stir until the meat is evenly coated with sauce. I like to reserve about 1/4 of the leek and cilantro to throw in right at the end before removing to a serving plate.

 Remove to a serving plate and serve.

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