Sweet and Sour Pork

I'm on kind of a sweet-savory sauce kick these days. Damn you, irresistible sloppy joes for getting these flavors stuck in my head! Then I was pondering this amazing, super sweet, completely unhealthy mandarin sauce from my favorite Chinese restaurant back home... when I stumbled upon this recipe. I took one look at the list of ingredients and was instantly intrigued. Apple juice concentrate... really? That's unusual. And pineapple juice? And brown sugar? How much sugar is in this recipe? Needless to say, it is very sweet. But it was just what I was looking for. And at under 500 calories per serving, I'm happy I don't have to feel guilty about the indulgence. :)

Sweet and Sour Pork
from Prevention
yields 4 servings, 450 calories each

Ingredients
1/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 pound pork shoulder or loin, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1" cubes
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 sweet red or orange bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
one 8-ounce can unsweetened pineapple chunks, with juice
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 cups hot cooked brown rice

Directions
1. In a medium bowl, combine the apple juice concentrate, ginger, and garlic; mix well. Add the pork and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Coat a wok with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat until hot.  Add the pork and marinade and cook until the pork is no longer pink the center. Add the onion and peppers and  cook until crisp-tender (about 3 minutes).
3. In a small bowl, combine the corn starch, soy sauce, juice from the pineapple, and brown sugar, and stir until dissolved. Add this to the wok, along with the pineapple. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes or until the sauce is thickened.