You know that bright red sweet and sour sauce you get in the chinese restaurants? The super sweet egg roll and crab rangoon dipping sauce? Well trying to find that in the supermarkets is nearly impossible. A few companies make a 'sweet and sour' sauce but it is nothing like the red stuff you get with your Friday night take-out.
There are several recipes on the web that claim to be like that stuff and just as many arguments as to how it's made in the restaurants. Seeing as how no one I asked at my favorite take-out joint knew how it was made, the search was on. I've tried many of the recipes out there and used many different ingredients to achieve that flavor but I haven't been able to replicate it exactly. This recipe is the closest I've been able to come and while it's not identical to the bright red stuff, it's pretty good.
Sweet and Sour Sauce
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
2 1/2 Tbsp white vinegar
1 heaping Tbsp ketchup
1 tsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp corn starch
4-5 drops red food coloring (optional)
Mix everything except corn starch in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes. Mix corn starch with 1/4 cup water to create a slurry and add to sauce. Bring to a boil again to thicken. Add food coloring if desired. Use immediately or let cool and bottle.
I've made this primarily for fried rice but it can also be used to make a wonderful sweet and sour pork dish. Now if I ever find out how the REAL stuff is made, I will update this post. For the time being, this will have to do. Enjoy!
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