Sweet and sour pork with pineapple is pork stir fry in garlic, Chinese sweet and sour sauce (also called Chinese red sauce). This easy sweet and sour pork recipe is so simple anyone can make at home.
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.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 300g Calories: 1219kcal (61%) Carbohydrates: 216g (72%) Protein: 36g (72%) Fat: 20g (31%) Saturated Fat: 3g (19%) Cholesterol: 125mg (42%) Sodium: 1582mg (69%) Potassium: 885mg (25%) Fiber: 4g (17%) Sugar: 36g (40%) Vitamin A: 222IU (4%) Vitamin C: 14mg (17%) Calcium: 49mg (5%) Iron: 3mg (17%)
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I love hearing how it turned out! Leave me a comment and make sure to leave a rating below.
