Tomato Pork Tenderloin
A classic Beijing-style dish featuring tender pork tenderloin that is battered, deep-fried, and sliced, then finished with a tangy-sweet tomato sauce and diced vegetables.
Ingredients
Pork tenderloin (also called yao-liu, scored with a crosshatch pattern)
to taste
Soaked bamboo shoot slices (diced)
to taste
Cucumber (diced)
to taste
Cooked ham (or char siu pork, diced)
to taste
Tomato paste
to taste
Flour
to taste
Egg (beaten into egg wash)
to taste
Wet cornstarch
to taste
Chicken broth
to taste
Sugar
to taste
Vinegar
to taste
Shaoxing wine
to taste
Fine salt
to taste
MSG
to taste
Rendered pork fat (lard)
to taste
Peanut oil
to taste
Instructions
1
Prepare the tenderloin
Cut the pork tenderloin crosswise into two sections. On the front of each section, cut diagonal slices; on the back, cut straight slices. Once cut, coat evenly with a layer of flour.
2
Prepare the garnishes and sauce slurry
Dice the bamboo shoot slices, cucumber, and ham. Place the tomato paste in a bowl, add the chicken broth, sugar, Shaoxing wine, vinegar, MSG, fine salt, wet cornstarch, and water to make a slurry. Crack the egg into a bowl and beat well, then dip the flour-coated tenderloin into the egg wash.
3
Fry the tenderloin
Pour peanut oil into a wok and place over low heat. When the oil is just about to smoke, add the egg-wash-coated tenderloin and fry until cooked through (about 3 minutes). Remove and drain off the oil, then cut into slices about 0.33 cm thick and arrange them overlapping on a serving plate.
4
Cook the sauce and pour over
Place a wok over high heat and add the rendered pork fat. Once hot, add the diced cucumber, bamboo shoots, and ham and stir-fry briefly. Pour in the slurry; once it thickens, pour it over the arranged tenderloin slices and serve.
