Sweet- Sour Meat

Got leftover cooked meat in the fridge? This sweet and sour sauce turns it into a quick dinner for two. Chicken, beef, pork, or turkey all work here, making this one of those adaptable recipes that rescues whatever protein you have on hand.

The sauce is a simple balance of sugar and vinegar thickened with cornstarch until glossy and clear. Soy sauce rounds out the flavor with salty depth, and raisins plump up in the warm sauce to add little bursts of sweetness in each bite.

Cooking the green pepper pieces slowly for a full 10 minutes before building the sauce is what gives them that tender, silky texture instead of a raw crunch. They almost melt into the sweet-sour glaze.

Pro Tips

• Mix the cornstarch with the sugar before adding liquid so it dissolves evenly with no lumps
• Stir constantly once the sauce starts thickening; cornstarch sauces go from glossy to gluey fast if you stop
• Add the cooked meat at the very end just to warm through; re-cooking it will make it tough and dry
• Serve over steamed rice to catch all the sauce

Variations

• Add canned pineapple chunks for a Hawaiian-style sweet and sour
• Toss in sliced water chestnuts or bamboo shoots for crunch
• Use rice vinegar instead of regular vinegar for a mellower tang