Sweet and Sour Pork with Snow Peas and Carrots

Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin with Snow Peas and Carrots
I loving getting mail and anxiously await the next magazine that arrives in my mailbox. Even with the endless supply of recipe websites and food blogs, I still prefer to thumb through a glossy magazine loaded with recipes, cooking tips and new product suggestions. 

I received a subscription to Food Network Magazine this past Christmas and picked out several recipes to try from the January/February 2011 issue.  The first recipe I prepared was for Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin with Snow Peas and Carrots.

It met many of my dinner requirements. 

1.  a fast prep time - about 25 minutes
2.  most ingredients I have on hand and I only need to pick up a few items from the store
3.  it is a cuisine I know my family loves - Asian
4.  it is a one-pan dish loaded with vegetables
5.  if there are any leftovers, the dish will reheat well

Not only was the entree beautiful to look at, it was delicious.  The meat remains tender and the vegetables are slightly crisp.  This variation of sweet and sour pork is a far cry from the sticky sweet version with deep fried pork from your local Chinese take out restaurant.

We have a winner!

Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin with Snow Peas and Carrots

adapted for this recipe from the January/February 2011 Food Network Magazine

serves 4

1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
kosher salt
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons sugar, plus a pinch
3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups of mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper, cut in matchstick size pieces
2 carrots, thinly sliced
3 scallions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cups snow peas, cut in half
4 cups of cooked rice, kept warm

Toss the pork with 1/2 tablespoon vinegar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, the soy sauce, cornstarch, ketchup, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/3 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in another bowl.


Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the pork and slowly stir until it turns mostly opaque, about 2 minutes. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate. Discard the oil and wipe out the skillet.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil in the skillet, then stir-fry the garlic with a pinch each of salt and sugar, 15 seconds. Add the mushrooms and red pepper and stir fry for 4 - 5 minutes.  Add the carrots and scallions and stir-fry until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. (Add a little water if the garlic starts to stick to the skillet.) Add the pork, snow peas and soy sauce mixture; stir until the pork is cooked through and the sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes.

Serve pork and vegetables over warm rice.

9 comments:

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I love it when we find a recipe that we would make over and over again. Snow peas and sugar snap peas are my favourite winter veggie. They taste like a glimpse of Spring.

amycaseycooks said...

bellini valli - with the dusting of snow we got last night, Spring cannot come soon enough.

Merut said...

Cooking magazines are awesome, because you can have the recipe right in front of you while you cook, instead of either printing it, worrying about getting the computer messy, or writing it out. I'm with you, eagerly awaiting the mail is like a present every month!
My Food Network Magazine from a year ago had an excellent sweet and sour sauce recipe. I wonder if it is the same. Looks good!

Lana said...

I love this combination. And so quick to prepare.

Kathleen said...

This sounds totally delish!!!

amycaseycooks said...

merut - nothing beats a magazine - and I love reading the newspaper with a cup of coffee every morning!

chef lana - I like that it has great falvor and so quick to make.

kathleen - a now go to recipe for me - so simple and fresh tasting.

Patsyk said...

This dish looks so much more appealing than the one from the Chinese restaurant! I love that it's not fried and is so colorful! Yum!

amycaseycooks said...

patsyk - after finding out that most foods from Chinese restaurants are fried, I am not a fan of their takeout. And the typical sweet and sour dish is so thick and syrupy.

Renee said...

I made this last night and it was yummy. I will try chicken next time, as i always have chicken in the freezer.