Oven-baked sweet and sour pork with onions and bell peppers in a blender sauce of pineapple, garlic, cayenne, soy sauce and cider vinegar. Serves 4 to 6.
This sweet and sour pork skips the deep fryer entirely. Cubes of lean pork loin roast in the oven with sliced onion until they start to brown, then get covered with a quick sauce made in the blender from canned pineapple and its syrup, garlic, soy sauce, cider vinegar and a kick of cayenne.
Bell peppers are pulsed in at the end so they stay in chunks, and everything finishes baking together under foil until the pork is tender. Serve it over steamed rice.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds lean pork loin
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 to 2 tablespoons olive or peanut oil
8 ounces canned pineapple slices or chunks in syrup
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 red or green bell peppers, cored and quartered
Steamed rice, for serving
Instructions
Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly oil a casserole dish.
Roast the pork and onion. Cut the pork into 1/2-inch cubes and spread them in a single layer in the dish. Scatter the onion over the top, drizzle with the oil and stir. Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring often, until the onions begin to color.
Blend the sauce. Meanwhile, put the pineapple and its syrup in a blender or food processor. Add the garlic, cayenne, soy sauce, vinegar and cornstarch and process until smooth.
Add the peppers. Add the bell peppers and pulse just until they are chopped into large chunks.
Sauce and bake. Pour the sauce over the hot pork. Cover with foil and continue baking, stirring a few times, until the pork is tender and the sauce has thickened, about 25 minutes more.
Serve. Serve hot over steamed rice.
Nutrition per serving (estimated)
280Calories
14 gCarbohydrates
2 gFiber
12 gNet carbs
30 gProtein
11 gFat
Estimated per serving, based on 5 servings (the recipe serves 4 to 6), using USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient. Net carbs are carbohydrates minus fiber. Optional ingredients, garnishes and anything served on the side are not included, and marinades are counted at about a third because most is discarded. Brands and portion sizes change the numbers.
