Sweet and Sour Pork
Crispy golden pork pieces tossed in a glossy, tangy-sweet sauce with bell peppers and pineapple. This Cantonese classic balances crunch, sweetness and a bright vinegar kick. It is also one of the dishes Cantonese cooks carried overseas and reworked wherever they landed, which is why no two cities make it quite the same. The whole point is contrast: a cornstarch shell that shatters under the teeth and a sauce that clings to it without soaking through.
Prep time20 min
Cook time15 min
Total time35 min
Servings4 servings
DifficultyMedium
Ingredients
- 400 g pork shoulder, cut into bite-size chunks
- 1 egg white
- 2 tbsp cornstarch, plus extra for coating
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chunked
- 1/2 green bell pepper, chunked
- 1/2 onion, chunked
- 100 g pineapple chunks
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- 1Cut the pork into even chunks, about 3cm across, so every piece fries at the same speed. Marinate with the egg white, 1 tbsp cornstarch and the salt for 15 minutes.
- 2Spread the extra cornstarch over a plate and press each piece into it, rolling and squeezing so the coating sticks in a thick, slightly uneven layer. That unevenness is what turns crisp in the oil.
- 3Heat the oil to 180°C (350°F). Test it with a cube of bread — it should sizzle and colour in about 30 seconds.
- 4Fry the pork in batches for 4-5 minutes until pale gold, then lift it out and drain on paper towels. Crowd the pan and the oil temperature drops, which leaves the coating greasy instead of crisp.
- 5Mix the ketchup, rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and 2 tbsp water in a small bowl and taste it. It should lead with sweet and finish with sour.
- 6In a hot wok with a little oil, stir-fry the onion and peppers for 1 minute, so they soften slightly but keep their bite, then add the pineapple.
- 7Pour in the sauce and let it come to a simmer for 30-60 seconds, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- 8Add the fried pork and toss quickly for about 20 seconds to coat every piece, then get it to the table. This is not a dish that waits around.
Tips
- Fry the pork just before saucing so it stays crisp; sauce only at the last moment.
- Double-fry for extra crunch: fry once, rest 2 minutes, then fry again 1 minute.
- Taste the sauce before adding the pork — it should be a balance of sweet, sour and salty.
- Pat the marinated pork reasonably dry before it meets the cornstarch. Too much egg white and the coating slides off into the oil in sheets.
- No pineapple? A tablespoon of orange juice, or a little extra sugar with a few drops of vinegar, keeps the sauce in balance.
