Sweet & Sour Pork

It's freezing in Washington D.C. today and I don't know what to do about it. Where I come from, just getting below freezing at night is a big deal. I was made for heat, I love it, and I just don't know what to do about all of this cold weather that's hitting the Northern part of the country right now. You know, I almost went to school in Chicago? I really don't know what I'd do there right now! Probably eat . . . a lot. Which is what I'm doing here. It's Inauguration Weekend in D.C. and I have a 5 day weekend and I'm not going to spend a lot of time outside so I suppose I'll spend a lot of time inside, eating.
This is a great, warm meal to have. I made it because I had part of a pork tenderloin left over and I had no idea what to do with it. It was too small for roasting or grilling (that is, if I had a grill and it wasn't 13 degrees outside) and I sort of wanted to do something a little Asian. I have to say though, my knowledge of Asian cuisine is limited, but this didn't seem that Asian to me when I was putting it together. It's Alton Brown's recipe though and I think that he usually does a pretty great job of staying true to the original form.
I obviously used pork tenderloin rather than pork butt because that's what I had. I also cut the recipe in half and I left out the pineapple because I didn't have any. The next time that I make it (and I will definitely make it again) I will be sure that I have the pineapple around because I think that it would make the recipe even better! Now, I don't like ketchup. I've always been more of a mustard girl and I was never that kid that put ketchup on everything. It sort of grosses me out and I limit my usage to French fries and that's it. So, the ketchup sauce really freaked me out: I tasted it and I got out the flier for my local pizza place as a backup because I was pretty sure that this was going to be a major kitchen disaster. But, as I'd already marinated the meat it was pointless to quit halfway through the game. And, I'm really glad that I didn't. The meat is really savory and salty from the soy sauce marinade and when the ketchup sauce combines with the vegetables and meat it turns into a really yummy dinner.
Oh, the other change that I made was to sear the pork pieces in a nonstick skillet rather than dredge them in flour and fry them. I didn't notice any difference and I don't think that I would fry the pork. But, that's just me!

Sweet & Sour Pork by Alton Brown

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1/4 cup flour, plus seasoned flour for dredging
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 pound pork butt, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt and pepper
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 ounce honey
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/3 cup large diced Vidalia onion
• 1/3 cup large diced celery
• 1/3 cup carrots sliced 1/4-inch thick, on a bias
• 1/3 cup large diced red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup large diced green bell pepper
• 1 cup fresh pineapple, cut into 1-inch cubes

Directions

In a large, nonreactive bowl combine the first five ingredients with the pork and marinate overnight (or for about 8 hours).

Drain off any excess marinade and dredge the pork in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. In a large frying pan heat 1-inch of oil to 350 degrees F. Fry the pork in batches, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Reserve on a warm plate.

In a separate bowl, combine the ketchup, sugar, vinegar, and honey. Whisk to blend.

In a small roasting pan heat the canola and sesame oils. Place the pork and vegetables into the pan and cover with the ketchup mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook until the pork is tender.