Sweet Surprise

Today's dinner came out a little different than I had expected. I knew I had added a lot of sugar, but I didn't know that it would turn out so sweet. In a dish that I had thought would turn out more savory than it was, the sweetness was a nice surprise.

Sweet Stewed Pork:
Sweeter than I thought it would be, but probably could have been cooked a little more than I had made it. It was also a little dry, so probably could have used more liquid too, but turned out pretty well. The dish reminded me of Chinese sweet jerky (whatever the real name for that is called ><). Loosely based on this recipe (1). $7 for the dish enough for 5 people and a little more for lunch the next day.

• 3 lbs Pork Sirloin (sliced, but probably better cubed)
• 1/2 head Garlic (minced)
  
• 1 head Shallot (minced)
  
• 2 Green Onions (chopped)
  
• 3/4 cup Soy Sauce
• 3/4 cup Beef Stock
• 1/2 cup Rice Wine
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 3 tbsp Cornstarch (with water)
  

Everything but the pork into a pot and bring to boil, stirring to incorporate the sugar. Once boiled, add the pork and stir. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes (longer for softer meat, but we were hungry so we let it go for 30 minutes). Meat should be cooked all the way through (white the entire way). Remove the meat, and add cornstarch mixed in water. Bring sauce to boil. Remove from heat and add back meat. Stir, let the sauce thicken, and serve warm over rice.

Kang Kong (Kai Xin Cai/On Choy):
We've made this veggie before, but I called home to try that recipe. It came out lighter and fresher than the other stir fry. It also looked better due to the lack of soy sauce to make it brown XP. $4 for the dish and it was completely demolished at the meal.

• 2 lbs Kang Kong
• 1 cup Rice Wine
• 2/3 cup Beef Stock
  
• 1/2 head Garlic (minced)

Cut off the ends of the Kang Kong (the stems with white within) and then chop the rest of the vegetable in half. In a large pan heat oil on medium. Saute half of the minced garlic until starting to brown. Toss in half of the kang kong, and pour 1/2 cup rice wine and 1/3 cup beef stock on top. Cook for nearly 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the leaves are wilted, but the stalks are still crunchy. Repeat for other half.

Sweet pork and savory veggies served over rice. Enjoy.