Published January 1, 2006.
To get an authentic-tasting hot and sour soup recipe that would use only inventory from our local supermarket, we created the "hot" side of the soup with two heat sources—a full teaspoon of distinctive, penetrating white pepper and a little chili oil. To create the “sour” side, we settled on a tablespoon each of balsamic and red wine vinegar as an acceptable substitute for Chinese black vinegar.
To make slicing the pork chop easier, freeze it for 15 minutes. We prefer the distinctive flavor of Chinese black vinegar; look for it in Asian supermarkets. If you can't find it, a combination of red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar approximates its flavor. This soup is very spicy. For a less spicy soup, omit the chili oil altogether or add only 1 teaspoon.
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