Sweet and Sour Pork Chops

Have you ever watched the program "Cook Yourself Thin?"  I originally started watching it several years ago on the Lifetime network.  Three women visit someone wanting to lose weight, take three of her favorite dishes, and drastically cut the fat/calories.  They give great ideas for substitions and when to use the real thing for the best taste.  This episode featured traditional Sweet and Sour Pork, those deep-fried chunks of grisly mystery meat in a too-sweet, artifically-colored gooey sauce.

I loved the program and then it went off the air.  But now it's back on one of Lifetime's auxiliary stations (Lifetime Real Women).  Everything I've made from their shows have come out wonderfully (there is also a "Cook Yourself Thin" cookbook), but this one may be about the best.

I was stunned!!!  One, I'm not a big fan of pork...it's usually too dry for me.  And two, I'm not real big on cooked sweet or green peppers.  But for some reason, this worked for me.  Maybe because you use thin boneless pork chops and cook them quickly.   And the peppers and onions caramelize wonderfully.  Be careful not to overcook them!!!  They provide a wonderful crunch.  In fact, next time I will double the onions (because I love onions) and double the sauce (because I'd like a bit more sauce for the rice).

SWEET and SOUR PORK CHOPS (serves 4)

For the pork chops:
1 Tbsp dry sherry
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 pound 1" thick boneless pork loin chops, trimmed of any fat, and cut into 1" cubes
2 Tbsp pineapple juice
1 Tbsp ketchup
1/2 tsp white vinegar
3 Tbsp canola oil
1 red onion, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1" cubes
2 peppers (red, green, orange, yellow....whatever you have on hand) stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1" cubes

For the brown rice:
1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 cups chicken stock

To make the pork chops: Combine sherry, pepper, 1 Tbsp of the soy sauce, and 1/2 tsp of the sugar in a medium bowl.  Add pork and gently toss until well-coated.  Let marinate in the refrigerator.

Stir together pineapple juice, ketchup, vinegar, the remaining Tbsp of soy sauce, and remaining tsp of sugar in a small bowl until well-combined.

Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.  Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned but still a little crisp, about 2 minutes.  Transfer to a large dish.  Heat another Tbsp of the oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.  Add peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned but still a little crisp, about 3 minutes.  Transfer to the same dish.

Heat remaining Tbsp of oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.  Add the pork cubes, arranging in a single layer.  Cook, undisturbed, until a golden-brown crust forms on the other side, about 1 1/2 minutes.  Return onion and peppers to the pan and toss to combine.  Add pineapple juice mixture and cook, until sauce evenly coats everything and thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.  Serve immediately.

To make the rice: In a saucepan, bring the stock to a boil and add the rice.  Cover with a lid and let simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Using a fork, fluff the grains and serve.


Recipe Source: www.mylifetime.com/shows/cook-yourself-thin/recipes Episode: Tracy