homemade sweet and sour pork

If I do take-out Chinese, no order is ever without sweet and sour pork.  I don't know exactly what it is, but the combination of sour, sweet and salty never fails to trigger a craving.  This Superbowl Sunday I decided to make my own take-out sweet and sour pork--and it is as easy as it is delicious. 

Make the sauce first.  In a sauce pan add 3 TB of white vinegar, 4 TB white sugar, 1 TB soy sauce, 1 TB vegetable oil, 2 TB ketchup, and 1/3 cup of water.  In a custard cup, mix 1 TB cornstarch with 2 TB water and stir ( this is a slurry to thicken the sauce).  Heat ingredients in pan to light boil, add slurry, let reheat to simmer and sauce will thicken and clear--about 45 seconds.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Now cut up your favorite vegetables.  I used red and green peppers and red onion.  Traditionalists might like white onion, carrot and pineapple--whatever you like, you know the drill.  Cut a small amount of each into 1 inch pieces.  Set aside.  Take 2 boneless pork chops, pound slightly, and cut into 1 inch pieces.  Marinate with a little soy sauce and sherry, 10 minutes. Remove from marinade and toss with 1/3 cup of cornstarch and a dash of salt (use a Ziploc bag). Heat canola oil in large skillet--about 1 1/2 inch of oil.  Fry till light golden and drain on paper towels.  Put sauce back on low heat (add a dash of water if it is too thick stirring carefully so it doesn't burn) and add vegetables--you want the vegetables basically uncooked-just heated, the crisp vege's is the best part, add the pork, toss thoroughly with sauce fully reheated.  Serve with rice.