Sweet & Sour Pork Recipe

Prepare pork

Trim excess fat from the pork and cut into 1-inch bite-sized cubes. Pat dry with paper towels.

Marinate

In a bowl combine egg, 1 tbsp soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp white pepper and 2 tbsp cornstarch. Add pork pieces and toss to coat. Marinate at least 20 minutes, up to 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Make coating batter

In a shallow bowl whisk together 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch and 1/2 tsp baking powder. Gradually stir in about 1/3 cup cold water to form a thick batter that will cling to the pork; it should resemble tempura batter. If batter is too thick, add water 1 tsp at a time.

Coat pork

Remove pork from marinade, shaking off excess liquid, then toss pieces in the batter so each piece is well coated. Let coated pieces rest 5 minutes so the batter adheres.

Fry pork

Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a deep skillet or pot to 350°F (175°C). Fry pork in batches, do not overcrowd, for 3–4 minutes until golden and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined tray to drain. Maintain oil temperature between batches.

Mix sauce

In a bowl whisk together 1/2 cup pineapple juice, 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 tbsp soy sauce until sugar dissolves.

Make slurry

In a small cup mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water to form a smooth slurry; set aside.

Prep vegetables

Core and cut red and green bell peppers into 1-inch pieces. Slice half a yellow onion into wedges. Drain pineapple chunks if using canned.

Stir-fry vegetables

Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add onion and stir-fry 1–2 minutes until starting to soften. Add bell peppers and a pinch (1/4 tsp) salt; stir-fry another 2 minutes so vegetables are crisp-tender. Add pineapple chunks and stir for 30 seconds.

Add sauce

Pour the prepared sweet-and-sour sauce into the pan with vegetables and bring to a simmer. Stir the cornstarch slurry again then slowly add it to the simmering sauce, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy, about 1 minute.

Combine pork and sauce

Add the fried pork pieces to the pan and toss gently to coat each piece in the sauce. Cook together 1 more minute to heat through and allow the sauce to cling to the pork.

Transfer sweet & sour pork to a serving platter. Sprinkle sliced scallions and sesame seeds (if using) over the top. Serve hot with steamed rice.