Sweet and Sour Pork
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 2 to 4 servings
- Total: 35 min
- Active: 35 min
Ingredients
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons pineapple juice, reserved from the canned pineapple
3 tablespoons white vinegar
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water to make a slurry
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 to 5 drops red food coloring
Pork Marinade:
1 1/2 pounds pork butt (shoulder), cut in to 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Chinese Frying Flour:
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Sweet and Sour Pork:
2 quarts vegetable oil
2 tablespoons high-temperature cooking oil, such as peanut, vegetable or canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 white onion, large dice
1/2 green bell pepper, large dice
1/2 red bell pepper, large dice
1 cup canned pineapple chunks, drained
3 scallions, sliced on the bias into 1-inch pieces
Directions
- For the sweet and sour sauce: Whisk together the ketchup, pineapple juice, vinegar, sugar, cornstarch slurry, Worcestershire and red food coloring in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- For the pork marinade: Combine the pork, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and 2 tablespoons water in a large bowl. Massage the pork well for about 30 seconds
- For the Chinese frying flour: Place the cornstarch, flour and baking soda into a medium bowl and whisk well to aerate.
- For the sweet and sour pork: Preheat the vegetable oil in a 6- to 7-quart Dutch oven or pot over high heat to 360 degrees F.
- Add 3/4 to 1 cup water to the bowl with the marinating pork. Add 2/3 cup of the Chinese frying flour into the bowl about 1/3 cup at a time and mix into the pork until it feels like medium pancake batter. Fry in two batches until the pork is golden brown and has an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, 4 to 6 minutes per batch. Drain the pork on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. You can also hold it in a 200-degree F oven to keep the pork hot and crispy.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat and add the high-temperature cooking oil. When you see the first whisps of white smoke, stir in the garlic, onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, pineapple and scallions and toss to cook for 45 seconds until all the colors brighten. Pour the reserved sweet and sour sauce into the pan and stir gently until it comes to a boil and the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss the pork into the sauce and vegetables to combine well for about 30 seconds. When the pork and vegetables are evenly suspended in the sauce, remove from the heat and serve immediately.