Sweet and Sour Pork (Su-Buta)

Sweet and Sour Pork (or Chicken) Recipe

Su-Buta (lit. Vinegar Pork) is a classic Japanese Chu-ka (Chinese style) dish, and many Japanese make it using a packet-mix for the sauce.  However there is really no need for a packet mix, as the ingredients for the sauce are probably already in your kitchen!

The meat is just coated with cornstarch and shallow-fried, so it's very easy.  Or if you're really lazy like me, sometimes you might make it by just stir-frying the meat along with the vegetables.

300g pork or chicken, cut into roughly 1cm thick, 2x3cm pieces
a few tablespoons cornstarch
1 large onion, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1 large green bell pepper/capsicum (or 3-4 piiman), sliced

Sauce Ingredients:
4 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp chicken stock powder
2/3 cup water
3 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with a little water

1.  Place all sauce ingredients in a cup and stir.  Set aside until the end.
2.  Place a few tablespoons of cornstarch with a little salt and pepper in a plastic freezer bag.  Add sliced pork or chicken and shake to coat well.  Shallow-fry with oil until browned and crisp.  Remove from oil and let drain.
3.  In a wok or large frypan, heat a little oil and stir-fry the vegetables, adding capsicum/piiman last so as not to overcook.
4.  Give the cup of sauce ingredients another stir, then add it to the vegetables, continue stirring over medium heat until the sauce thickens.
5.  Add the cooked pork/chicken and stir to combine.

Serve with rice.

I often make this dish with chicken just because chicken is much cheaper in Japan, however if you make it with pork, you'll know why the dish is called "Sweet and Sour Pork", as the unique taste of pork goes amazingly well with the Sweet and Sour.

Although it is best fresh and hot, left over Sweet and Sour can even find a place in your bento lunch the next day!

Our home is a Yakiniku Restaurant

...That's the English translation of the name of our favorite Yakiniku Sauce:

我が家は焼き肉屋さん

Yakiniku doesn't have to mean an expensive restaurant.
It is so simple to prepare at home.
Super easy.  Super oishii (yummy).

"Yaki" means "grill" and "niku" means "meat".  It's table cooking (electric grill or frypan work fine), so, just like Sukiyaki, it's a lot of fun.

How to Make Yakiniku
(Here's an example of what I used last night)

• Meat:  Thinly sliced beef, with a little sake, sesame oil, +/- garlic and salt, sliced chicken marinated with sake, oil and salt.
• Vegetables:  sliced onion, thinly sliced pumpkin, cabbage (cut 2 inch squares), enoki mushrooms, carrot.  I love the onion.
• Sauce:  Yakiniku Sauce (called Yakiniku Ta-re in Japanese).  Served in a small dipping bowl for each person. Yakiniku Sauce Recipe Here
• Steamed Rice:  in a small bowl for each person.
• Chopsticks.

Too easy.  Everyone does the cooking and eating together.  Don't you love not having to cook?

More Meat:
We also like ox tongue (skin removed and thinly sliced, sprinkled lightly with salt and pepper) or heart (thinly sliced, marinated with sesame oil and garlic).  Ox tongue (beef tongue) is $5/kilo at Woolworths supermarket here. I think that's the cheapest meat in Australia.  Tastes buttery and a little rubbery.  I love it though.  Sendai is famous for it.


More Vegetables:
Eggplant, bell peppers (in Japan we have Piiman), zucchini are my favourites with yakiniku.  I always have a ton of veggies.
Moyashi (bean sprouts) also go well, as do regular button mushrooms.

Sauce:
You can make your own yakiniku ta-re or gomadare (sesame seed sauce) with my recipes (click link to see each recipe).  
Some meats like gyu-tan also taste good with Ponzu (bought, or try mixing soy sauce, lemon juice and a little sugar)  I'll post about that too...