Sweet and Sour Pork
Cantonese sweet and sour pork conquered the world, and done properly it’s far better than the gloopy takeaway version. We fry pieces of pork shoulder in a starch coating twice, then make the sauce from ketchup, rice vinegar and pineapple juice. The pork meets the sauce at the very last second, before the crust has any chance to soften.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Rest
- 20 min
- Total
- 1 h 15 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 660 kcal
Ingredients
For the pork
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What to use instead
Swap the Shaoxing wine for dry sherry, and the rice vinegar for cider vinegar, using 1 tbsp less.
For the sauce
Makes: 4 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Marinate the pork
Cut the pork into 2.5 cm cubes. Mix with the salt, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and beaten egg and leave for 20 minutes.
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Step 2: Prep sauce and veg
Mix the ketchup, rice vinegar, sugar, pineapple juice and soy sauce. Cut the peppers and onion into 2.5 cm squares and finely chop the garlic.
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Step 3: Coat in starch
Heat the oil in a deep pan to 170°C (340°F). Press each piece of pork into the cornflour so it coats thickly, then leave for 5 minutes until the surface looks damp.
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Step 4: First fry
Fry the pork in batches for 4–5 minutes until pale golden and cooked through — at least 63°C (145°F) inside. Transfer to a rack.
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Step 5: Second fry
Bring the oil up to 190°C (375°F) and fry all the pork again for 1–2 minutes until deep golden and very crisp. Return to the rack.
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Step 6: Cook the sauce
Heat 1 tbsp of the frying oil in a large pan and stir-fry the peppers and onion over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the garlic for 20 seconds, pour in the sauce mixture and bring to the boil. Stir in the cornflour slurry and cook for 1 minute until thick and glossy. Add the pineapple.
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Step 7: Toss and serve
Turn off the heat, add the pork and toss quickly, just to coat. Serve at once with rice while the crust still crunches.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Pork shoulder is ideal thanks to its marbling — it stays juicy through two fries. Tenderloin works too, but give it a minute less.
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Swap
Swap the Shaoxing wine for dry sherry, and the rice vinegar for cider vinegar, using 1 tbsp less.
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Tip
Fill the pan no more than a third with oil and never leave it unattended. If it starts to smoke, turn off the heat immediately.
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Storage
The crust softens quickly in the sauce, so eat it straight away. For leftovers, store the pork and sauce separately and reheat the pork in a 200°C (400°F) oven for 8 minutes before tossing.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 660 kcal | 2,640 kcal |
| Protein | 30 g | 120 g |
| Fat | 36 g | 144 g |
| Carbohydrates | 55 g | 220 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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