1. dark color comes from both the soy (obviously) and also Chinese black vinegar. Ditch the cider vinegar and get yourself some black vinegar. worth it. use 2T of that plus 2T of white vinegar. this tastes better and will help move the spice to your throat also.

2. i would add another tablespoon of soy.
3. maybe cut your amount of ginger in half.
4. replace the black pepper with ground white pepper. at least a teaspoon. i like heat, so I’ve gone way past that.
5. i would skip the sherry marinade for the pork. takes it a little too far to the sweet side when you are using the black vinegar.
6. no matter how close you get with these ingredients, it won’t be right without Lilly buds. should be able to find in your local Asian market. be sure to rinse and follow directions for reviving them.

good luck. love to hear if this helps.