Sweet and Sour Pork

Prepare the batter: In a medium bowl, stir together the eggs, cornstarch, and flour. The batter should be liquidy enough to coat the pork. If the batter looks too dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water and stir again.

Add the pork and stir gently to coat.

Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the water, ketchup, pineapple juice, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Heat the peanut oil in a wok until it registers 350°F onan instant-read oil thermometer. Working in 2 or 3 batches, add the first batch of pork cubes and fry until golden brown on the outside and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove the pork with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

Remove any excess bits of batter from the oil with a slotted spoon or fine-mesh strainer. Continue frying the rest of the pork.

Transfer the oil to a heat-proof container. (It will take about 1 hour to fully cool, after which you can transfer it to a container with a tight lid to dispose of it.) Wipe up any food remains in the wok with paper towels, being careful not to touch the metal directly with your hands.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the wok or a skilletover medium-high heat.

Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until just aromatic, about 20 seconds.

Add the pineapple and the sauce and stir to coat the vegetables.

Let the sauce simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to allow the pineapple to become tender (about 1 minute for canned pineapple). Return pork to the wok and toss until well coated with the sauce.

Transfer to a plate and serve.

Reprinted with permission from The Chinese Takeout Cookbook by Diana Kuan, © 2012 Ballantine Books

Diana Kuan, is a food writer and cooking instructor who has taught Chinese cooking in Beijing and New York. Her writing on food and travel has appeared in The Boston Globe, Gourmet, Food & Wine, and Time Out New York, among other publications. She has appeared on the CBS Early Show and other broadcast media. She is the author of the blog www.appetiteforchina.com, which has more than 6.5 million page views, and teaches Chinese cooking at Whole Foods and the Institute for Culinary Education (ICE) in New York, where she currently resides.