Sweet and Sour Pork

Sweet and Sour Pork (Gǔ Lào Ròu)

A Cantonese classic of crispy battered pork tossed with pineapple and bell pepper in a glossy, balanced sweet-and-sour sauce. The key is contrast: shatteringly crisp meat against a bright, tangy-sweet glaze.

Prep

25 min

Cook

20 min

Total

45 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) pork shoulder, cut into 2.5 cm / 1 inch cubes; trim excess fat
• •1 whole (1 medium) egg, large, beaten
• •100 g (¾ cup) cornstarch, plus 1 tbsp for the sauce
• •60 g (½ cup) all-purpose flour
• •5 g (1 tsp) baking powder, helps the batter puff
• •5 g (1 tsp) fine salt
• •120 ml (½ cup) water, cold, for the batter
• •500 ml (2 cups) neutral oil, for deep-frying; peanut or canola
• •200 g (7 oz) fresh pineapple, cut into 2.5 cm / 1 inch chunks; canned in juice works too, drained
• •1 whole (1 medium) red bell pepper, cut into 2.5 cm / 1 inch squares
• •1 whole (1 medium) green bell pepper, cut into 2.5 cm / 1 inch squares
• •1 small yellow onion, cut into 2.5 cm / 1 inch squares
• •3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• •15 g (1 tbsp) fresh ginger, finely chopped
• •100 g (½ cup) rice vinegar, Chinkiang or other Chinese rice vinegar
• •90 g (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) caster sugar, superfine sugar dissolves fast
• •45 ml (3 tbsp) ketchup, traditional Cantonese addition for color and depth
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) light soy sauce
• •10 g (1 tbsp) cornstarch, slurried with 2 tbsp water for thickening
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) toasted sesame oil, finishing drizzle, optional

Steps

1. 1 Pat the pork cubes very dry with paper towels. Toss with 1 tsp salt and the beaten egg, then mix in 100 g cornstarch and 60 g flour with the baking powder. Add the cold water gradually until you have a thick batter that just coats each piece (it should cling, not drip off loosely). Rest 10 minutes.
2. 2 Meanwhile, make the sauce: whisk together the rice vinegar, sugar, ketchup, soy sauce and 100 ml water in a small bowl until the sugar mostly dissolves. In a separate cup, slurry the 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water.
3. 3 Heat the oil in a wok or deep pot to 175 °C / 350 °F. Working in batches, drop battered pork pieces in one at a time so they don't stick. Fry for 3–4 minutes until pale gold and crisp; do not crowd the pan. Remove to a rack. Let the oil return to 175 °C / 350 °F between batches.
4. 4 Re-fry the pork in batches a second time for 1–2 minutes until deep golden and very crisp. Drain on a rack. This double-fry is what gives the authentic crackly shell. Cook pork to an internal temperature of 71 °C / 160 °F.
5. 5 Pour off all but 1 tbsp oil from the wok. Set over high heat, add the garlic and ginger, and stir for 15 seconds until fragrant. Add the onion and bell peppers; stir-fry 1 minute so they stay crisp. Add the pineapple and stir 30 seconds.
6. 6 Pour in the sauce mixture and bring to a vigorous boil. Stir the cornstarch slurry and drizzle it in; the sauce will thicken and turn glossy in about 30 seconds.
7. 7 Off the heat, add the fried pork and toss quickly so every piece is coated in the glaze. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil if using. Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice, as the crispness fades within a few minutes.