Chinese Sweet and Sour Pork is definitely the favorite dish for adults and children. I want to share with you how to cook the same taste and color as a Chinese restaurant without frying the pork.
With this one-pot recipe, it’s easy, tastier, less greasy, and healthier than a take-out dish. Follow my recipe and I guarantee it’ll turn out well even for beginners.
Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe
This sweet and sour pork with pineapple takes less than 30 minutes. That’s because it doesn’t need to be fried and all the steps can be done in one pot. So no oil is wasted, which saves time and is low in calories. Dip the pork in tapioca starch or cornstarch on both sides, then let it get wet for 5 minutes before pan-frying. This is the most important tip to make pork crispy.
But remember that once the pork is doused with the sauce, it absorbs the sauce and isn’t as crispy as it would be if it was just pan-fried without being doused with the sauce. This also happens when the pork is deep-fried or ordered from a Chinese restaurant.
Among other tips for marinating pork is to simply add baking soda, beaten egg, and canned pineapple juice. This will soften and tenderize the meat and give it the scent of pineapple.
Ingredients
- Pork – pork tenderloin, pork collar (pork neck, collar butt),or shoulder are particularly tender and are good for stir-fry dishes with pork.
- Garlic – chopped, minced or sliced whichever you like.
- Green and red bell peppers – cut them into 1” chunks.
- Canned pineapple – this gives the dish the smell of fruit.
Green onions, zucchini, carrots, and cucumbers are good substitutes for this dish.
Pork Marinade
The best way to marinate pork is to massage and stir it with your hands. First, add the canned pineapple juice and stir with your hand so the pork absorbs the juice, about 1 minute. Then add the rice wine and stir in the same way after doing it once.
You’ve to keep this order. The reason is that the pork will absorb the canned pineapple juice and rice wine better, making the pork taste juicier. Finally, you add the other marinade sauces and stir them by hand so that the pork can absorb the sauces better.
Chinese Sweet and Sour Sauce
In this recipe, I use canned pineapple juice instead of apple cider vinegar. This gives the dish the scent of pineapple.
The ingredients together consist of ketchup, sugar, canned pineapple juice, soy sauce, cornstarch, and water. The perfect ratio – sugar : canned pineapple juice : Ketchup 2 : 2 : 3 tablespoons. If you use apple cider vinegar, it’s the same ratio.
You can mix them well in a bowl. But don’t add the ketchup to the bowl. The ketchup will saute with the pork and make the color of your sweet and sour pork extra attractive.
How To Make
- Marinate pork – you add canned pineapple juice first and massage it with your hands. Then add the rice wine or Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry) and message again. Finally add soy sauce, beaten egg, baking soda, and cornstarch and message them. Marinate for at least 10 minutes (you can also leave it overnight). PRO TIP: The secret of adding canned pineapple juice and rice wine in this order is that the meat can absorb them well. So it'll be juicier when you eat it. If you add beaten eggs, the meat will be even more tender and juicy. This is how Chinese restaurants do it to make red meat taste tender and juicy.
- Put 6 tablespoons of cornstarch on the plate. Dip the pork in the cornstarch on both sides and gently shake off the excess cornstarch. Place them on the plate and separate them, but let them get wet for pan fry.PRO TIP: After dipping, let the cornstarch, rest for 5 minutes before frying. This will help the cornstarch stick to the meat and make it crispier and not come off during frying.
- Mix Chinese Sweet and Sour Sauce – Whisk together water, sugar, canned pineapple juice, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside. Don't add the ketchup to the bowl.PRO TIP: The perfect ratio for sweet and sour sauce – sugar : canned pineapple juice : Ketchup, 2 : 2 : 3 tablespoons.
- Prepare the vegetables – wash and cut the vegetables into 1" cubes. Set aside.
- In a large wok or skillet, heat 2 tablespoons canola oil over medium heat. Place the pork in it in a single layer. When you put the pork in, dip it into the oil in the pan to crisp it up.
- Don't turn it, but wait for 2 to 3 minutes before turning the other side. Fry it until it's golden brown and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes.PRO TIP: Don't overcrowd the pan and turn the pork after 2-3 minutes so you get crispy.
- In the same pan, turn the heat to medium then add the garlic and fry it for 1 minute, then add ketchup, and fry it for 1 minute. PRO TIP: Pour the ketchup and fry together first, to give the pork color and make the color of your sweet and sour pork extra attractive.
- Add green and red bell pepper and fry them for 1 minute. The reason for this is to turn the heat to medium so that the pork, garlic, and peppers don't burn.
- Turn the heat to high, add the Chinese sweet and sour sauce and the pineapple, and sauté them along with the pork until the sauce is a little dry, about 2 to 3 minutes. If you want the pork crispy, you don't have to toss it in the sauce for too long, about 1 minute is enough.
- Serve – immediately with a side dish of rice.
Prep Ahead Of Time
I like to make this recipe fresh but you can definitely prep it ahead of time.
*Slice pork: you can do this at any time before marinating or just before marinating then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
*Marinate pork: marinate pork 20 minutes up to 8 hours before cooking. But remember if you want to marinate for more than half an hour or overnight, you should add baking soda and cornstarch 10 minutes before cooking. Otherwise, the pork will be tough if you add baking soda too long.
*Make Sweet and Sour Sauce: make the sauce by mixing all sauce ingredients and storing them in the refrigerator before using.
Recipe substitution and variations:
- Meats: chicken breasts, fish, or shrimp are great meat substitutions. You can refer my early post for Sweet and Sour Chicken, and Sweet and Sour Shrimp.
- Add veggies: if you’d like more vegetables, snow peas, broccoli and carrots are a great addition.
- Make it vegetarian: fried tofu, cauliflowers and mushrooms.
Other Chinese pork dishes
OVEN PORK RIBS
BAKED PORK CHOPS WITH CHEESE (IN SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE)
PAN-FRIED BONELESS PORK CHOP
POTSTICKERS (CHINESE PAN FRIED DUMPLINGS)
Ingredients
MARINADE PORK:
- 300g /0.67lb Pork tenderloin, pork collar (pork neck, collar butt), or shoulder, cut into 2cm 3/4" cubes.
- 1 tablespoon rice wine, Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 tablespoon canned pineapple juice
- 1/4 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon beaten egg
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, you can use 1.5 tablespoons of beer
CHINESE SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE:
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons cane pineapple juice, or apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 100 ml water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
PAN FRY PORK:
- 4~6 tablespoons cornstarch or Tapioca starch
STIR FRY:
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 gloves garlic, ,minced
- half green pepper, ,cut into 1” chunks
- half red pepper, ,cut into 1” chunks
- 4 slices canned pineapple ,chunks
Instructions
- Prepare the pork – To make the meat more tender, always cut against the grain direction. Cut them into 2cm 3/4" cubes. (Note 1)You can refer to my other post, "How To Velvet Beef (Prok) For Stir Fry?" I'll show you how to cut the pork (and other red meat) and how to tenderize it.
- Marinate pork – you add canned pineapple juice first and massage it with your hands. Then add the rice wine or Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry) and message again. Finally add soy sauce, beaten egg, baking soda, and cornstarch and message them. Marinate for at least 10 minutes (you can also leave it overnight). (Note 2 & 3)
- Put 6 tablespoons of cornstarch on the plate. Dip the pork in the cornstarch on both sides and gently shake off the excess cornstarch. Place them on the plate and separate them, but let them get wet for pan fry. (Note 4)
- Mix Chinese Sweet and Sour Sauce – Whisk together water, sugar, canned pineapple juice, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside. (Note 5) Don't add the ketchup to the bowl, see Note 7.
- Prepare the vegetables – wash and cut the vegetables into 1" cubes. Set aside.
PAN FRIED PORK:
- In a large wok or skillet, heat 2 tablespoons canola oil over medium heat. Place the pork in it in a single layer. When you put the pork in, dip it into the oil in the pan to crisp it up.
- Don't turn it, but wait for 2 to 3 minutes before turning the other side. Fry it until it's golden brown and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. (Note 6)
STIR FRIED:
- In the same pan, turn the heat to medium then add the garlic and fry it for 1 minute, then add ketchup, and fry it for 1 minute. (Note 7)
- Add green and red bell pepper and fry them for 1 minute. The reason for this is to turn the heat to medium so that the pork, garlic, and peppers don't burn.
- Turn the heat to high, add the Chinese sweet and sour sauce and the pineapple, and sauté them along with the pork until the sauce is a little dry, about 2 to 3 minutes. If you want the pork crispy, you don't have to toss it in the sauce for too long, about 1 minute is enough.
- Serve – immediately with a side dish of rice.
Video
Tips & Notes:
- Cut the meat against the direction of the grain so that the tissue can be separated and the bite is easier to make. This is also an important way to make the meats tender.
- The secret of adding canned pineapple juice and rice wine in this order is that the meat can absorb them well and become juicier when you eat it. The reason to add beaten eggs is that the meat will be even more tender and juicy. This is how Chinese restaurants do it to make red meat taste tender and juicy.
- If you want to marinate for more than half an hour or overnight, you should add baking soda and cornstarch 10 minutes before cooking. Otherwise, the pork will be tough if you add baking soda too long.
- After dipping, let the cornstarch, rest for 5 minutes before frying. This will help the cornstarch stick to the meat and make it crispier and not come off during frying.
- The perfect ratio for sweet and sour sauce – sugar : canned pineapple juice : Ketchup, 2 : 2 : 3 tablespoons. Because we use the cane pineapple juice as a substitute for apple cider vinegar. If you don’t use pineapple juice, it also has the same ratio as ar.apple cider vineg
- Don’t overcrowd the pan and turn the pork after 2-3 minutes so you get crispy.
- Pour the ketchup and fry together first, to give the pork color and make the color of your sweet and sour pork extra attractive.
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