Sweet and Sour Pork

pork steak	1 to 2 lb, trimmed and cubed
teriyaki sauce	1/2 to 1 c
cornstarch	1/2 c (optional) and 1 T
peanut oil	1/2 c
pineapple chunks in juice	2 c
cider vinegar	1/2 c
soy sauce	1 T
water	1/4 c
brown sugar	1/3 c
plum preserves	2 T
cloves	1 T whole
crystallized ginger	1 T, chopped fine
Bermuda onion	1 c, coarsely diced
green or red bell pepper	1 c, diced

The pork can be prepared in two ways. For glazed pork, marinate the cubed pork for several hours in teriyaki sauce then coat the pieces in cornstarch and stir fry in small batches over high heat until the crust browns. For quick preparation, stir fry the cubed pork in small batches adding some teriyaki sauce to each batch and cooking until the meat browns and the sauce clings to the meat. After cooking, set the meat aside and allow it to drain. The sauce is prepared separately in a pot with a tight cover. Combine the drained pineapple liquid, about 1 cup, the cider vinegar and the soy sauce and bring to a boil. Suspend 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in water then add it to the boiling sauce. The sauce will thicken quickly; stir it and lower the heat to a simmer. Add the brown sugar, plum preserves, cloves and crystallized ginger and stir until the preserves are dissolved. Cover the sauce and simmer it very slowly. In a large skillet, sauté the chopped Bermuda onion in about 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. Add the bell pepper and cook until it softens. Add the drained pineapple chunks, cover the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the prepared meat and the sauce, stir well and simmer uncovered for 15 to 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Recipe from An Eclectic Cookbook (Copyright © 1987, John S. Garavelli), page 6–6.