Dongbei Crispy Pork in Sweet Vinegar Sauce (Guo Bao Rou)

Ingredients

• 400 g pork loin steaks, thinly sliced
• 80 g cornflour
• 1 large egg
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 400 ml vegetable oil for frying

Method

1. 1

   Beat the egg and mix with half the cornflour to make a thick batter, then toss the pork slices in it until well coated.

2. 2

   Toss the coated pork in the remaining cornflour so each piece is dry on the outside.

3. 3

   Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or deep pan to 180C and fry the pork in batches for 3 minutes, until pale golden and cooked through with no pink remaining, then drain on kitchen paper.

4. 4

   Fry the pork a second time for 1 minute, until deep golden and extra crisp, then drain again.

5. 5

   Mix the rice vinegar, caster sugar and light soy sauce in a clean pan with the crushed garlic, and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes until syrupy.

6. 6

   Toss the crispy pork through the sauce quickly so it stays crisp.

7. 7

   Scatter with the spring onions and serve immediately with steamed rice.