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Sweet and Sour Pork - The secret to this popular Chinese recipe is in the sweet tangy sauce. Learn how to make easy sweet and sour sauce at home!
Table of Contents
What Is Sweet and Sour Pork?
Sweet and Sour Pork is an iconic Chinese recipe and classic Cantonese dish.
Called “咕嚕肉” or “goo lou yok” in Cantonese dialect, this recipe is very pleasing to the palate because of the flavorsome sweet and sour sauce—the sweetness from sugar plus the tangy ketchup and sharp rice vinegar—with the crispy fried pork pieces.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Peking Pork Chops (京都排骨)
Char Siu (BBQ Pork Belly)
Delicious Sweet and Sour Sauce
The secret of an authentic sweet and sour pork dish lies in the perfect balance of the sweet vs. sour taste of the sauce, the soul of this dish.
I am going to teach you how to make perfect homemade sweet and sour sauce and share my secret ingredients!
Secret Ingredients
Other than rice vinegar and ketchup, I also use Chinese plum sauce to add some extra zing, plus a few dashes of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce and oyster sauce to complete the perfect balance of flavor.
Once you master the techniques of homemade sweet and sour sauce, you can make authentic and restaurant quality Chinese food at home!
Plum Sauce
Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
Oyster Sauce
Crispy Frying Batter
The frying batter for the pork is equally important. The fried pork has to be crispy, airy and crunchy, so when they are stir-fried with the sweet and sour sauce, the pork will remain crispy and not soggy and swim in the sauce.
How Many Calories per Serving?
This recipe is only 402 calories per serving.
Serve Sweet and Sour Pork With:
For a wholesome dinner, I recommend the following dishes.
1/2lb (250g)pork tenderloin, cut into bite size pieces
1/2green bell pepper(cut into pieces)
1/2red bell pepper(and cut into pieces)
2stalks scallions(only the white part, cut into 2 inch (5cm) length)
1piecefresh/canned pineapple ring(cut into small pieces)
1clovegarlic(finely chopped)
oil for frying
Marinade:
1teaspoonsoy sauce
1/2teaspooncorn starch
1/2teaspoonrice wine
Frying Batter:
2oz. (60g)all-purpose flour
1oz. (30g)corn starch
1/2teaspoonbaking soda
1/2egg
1/2cupwater
1teaspooncooking oil
1pinchsalt
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
1 1/2tablespoonstomato ketchup
1teaspoonplum sauce
1/8teaspoonChinese rice vinegar(transparent in color)
1/2teaspoonLea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
1teaspoonoyster sauce
1teaspooncorn starch
1teaspoonsugar
2tablespoonswater
Instructions
Cut the pork tenderloin into pieces and marinate with the ingredients for 15-20 minutes.
Mix the sweet and sour sauce ingredients well and set aside.
Strain the dry ingredients of the frying batter and then add in the egg, water, and cooking oil to form a thick batter.
When the pork is well-marinated, transfer the pork pieces into the batter and make sure they are well coated. In a deep skillet, add in the cooking oil enough for deep-frying. Once the oil is hot, deep fry the pork pieces until they turn golden brown. Dish out and drain on paper towels.
Heat up a wok and add in some cooking oil. Add in the chopped garlic and stir fry until light brown, then follow by the bell peppers and pineapple pieces. Stir fry until you smell the peppery aroma from the peppers and then add in the sweet and sour sauce.
As soon as the sauce thickenens, transfer the pork into the wok and stir well with the sauce. Add in the chopped scallions, do a few quick stirs, dish out and serve hot with steamed white rice.
Course: Chinese Recipes
Cuisine: Chinese
Keywords: Sweet and Sour Pork
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe
Amount Per Serving (2 people)
Calories 402Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 115mg38%
Sodium 758mg33%
Carbohydrates 52g17%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 11g12%
Protein 29g58%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Mix 1 cup water, 3/4 cup sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, and salt in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in cooked pork, celery mixture, and pineapple chunks with juice. Return to a boil, then mix in remaining1/4 cup water and cornstarch.
Sweet and sour pork is a Chinese dish particularly popular in Westernised Cantonese cuisine and may be found worldwide. Several provinces in China produce various dishes that claim to be the ancestor, including a traditional Jiangsu dish called “pork in a sugar and vinegar sauce” (糖醋里脊; pinyin: táng cù lǐjǐ).
But one thing is for sure and that is that the dish originated in China, took a journey around the world and came back to Hong Kong stronger than ever. “It actually evolved from a dish made with spare ribs braised in sugar and vinegar. It was a Shanghainese dish that used to be served to the emperor.
This dish of deep-fried pork, often stir-fried with pineapple and bell peppers then covered in a brightly coloured sauce, is possibly one of the best-known Chinese dishes outside China. It is widely believed to be a Cantonese dish, and is called in the local dialect.
While sweet and sour can be found in diverse forms in China, the American version builds upon the simple mixture of sugar, vinegar, and spices with the addition of fruit juice—most commonly pineapple—and ketchup, giving the sauce both its red hue and uniquely Western flavor.
How do you tenderise pork for stir fry? Velveting is a Chinese technique that helps keep meat tender during stir frying. Adding cornstarch and bicarb to your meat during the marinating process helps to coat your meat, giving it a velvety feel that makes the meat feel extra soft.
Sweet and sour pork: how one of the most beloved Chinese dishes went global. From takeaway shops to Michelin-starred restaurants, sweet and sour pork is globally one of the most iconic and beloved food items in Cantonese cuisine.
How do you make sweet and sour pork red? Restaurants often put a drop of red food coloring to brighten up the color of the dish. You can add this when mixing the sauce. If you don't mind a more natural color, the sauce will get its color from the ketchup and brown sugar.
It gets its distinctive red color and unique flavor from an interesting marinade. The marinade differs slightly from maker to maker but five spice powder, red bean curd, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, sugar or honey, white pepper and red food coloring are usually present.
Our sweet and sour dishes are either 'Cantonese style' (which is the same as 'Hong Kong Style') or Sweet and Sour 'Balls' (thick battered). Our Cantonese style is cooked with the sauce, onions, peppers and pineapple.Whereas the Sweet and sour Chicken or King Prawns balls come with a separate pot of sauce.
The pig is a symbol of virility, and so pork is used as a strengthening food for pregnant woman and new mothers. For an interesting appetiser, try pig's ear. The ear is cooked, then sliced very thinly, and perhaps served with slivers of young ginger and soy sauce.
Panda hasn't made pork entrees in the US for a while because it is simply too expensive and not at all in demand. Think about it, when was the last time you had pork from a Chinese joint? However, Panda does serve Sweet & Sour Chicken.
Rib Chop: Cut from the rib section of the loin, these chops have a relatively high fat content, rendering them flavorful and unlikely to dry out during cooking. They are a favorite in the test kitchen. These chops are easily identified by the bone that runs along one side and the one large eye of loin muscle.
While a simple brine of water and salt will do the trick, you can also use the brining stage to impart extra flavor with sugar and seasonings. Just be careful not to brine too long (two to four hours should do the trick) and rinse the pork before cooking.
There are a few sweet pork recipes out there but I've found the best one to be this near-perfect imitation of Cafe Rio's sweet pork. The key ingredients are (besides pork, of course) Coca-Cola, brown sugar, chilis, enchilada sauce, and spices. Accept no substitutions!
The sweet and sour pork in China is quite different from the American version, though. The takeout style is usually heavily battered, deep fried, and swamped in a pool of very sugary sauce. On the other hand, in the Chinese version the pork is cut into thin strips, lightly coated with a batter and fried until crispy.
Sweet and sour chicken, one of the most popular Chinese takeout dishes, is made of puffy, golden brown pieces of fried chicken nuggets with pineapple chunks, onion, bell pepper, carrot, and a side of iconic red, sweet and sour sauce.
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