Sweet and Sour Pork HK Style
A traditional Chinese sweet and sour pork recipe (Cantonese Style) made with crispy pork, pineapple, peppers, and onions tossed in a sticky and sweet and sour sauce – better than takeaway!
What is in sweet and sour sauce?
Our recipe is made up of ketchup, sugar, vinegar and cornstarch. Yes, you heard right…. ketchup! Believe it or not, ketchup can be traced back to as early as 300 B.C. in China. Originally the condiment was made of fish sauce and in the 1700s, British traders in Southeast Asia became obsessed with their newly discovered “catchup,” and it quickly took storm as they brought it back to Britain.
We would highly recommend a homemade sweet and sour sauce instead of the store bought packets as it’s cheaper, healthier, customisable and most importantly more scrumptious!
Best cuts of pork to use
Most restaurants use pork butt or pork shoulder for their tenderness and good fat ratio. Pork belly and spare ribs are also great. In this recipe I used pork shoulder.
Sweet and Sour Pork HK Style
Ingredients
- Oil for deep frying
Flour Mix
- 400 grams Pork Shoulder
- 1 Egg
- 1 large bowl Cornstarch
Marinade
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
Sauce
- 5 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 5 tbsp vinegar
- 5 tbsp brown sugar
- Dark soy sauce to taste
Vegetables
- 1 onion
- 1/2 tin pineapple
- 1/2 bell pepper
Instructions
- Cut the meat into 2/3 cm cubes and place in a large prep bowl.
- Marinade in the sesame oil, sugar, light soy sauce and salt & pepper for 15 minutes.
- Add the egg to the marinated meat and mix well.
- Add the cornstarch (can be seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic salt) and mix into the meat until each piece of meat separates. Continue to add flour until a dry consistency is reached.
- Chop the vegetables into large dices and place in separate prep bowls.
- Mix the tomato ketchup, vinegar and sugar and a dash of dark soy sauce in a small bowl.
- Make sure the oil for frying is ready. To tell when the oil is up to temperature, dip a wooden spoon into the oil and if it bubbles, then your oil is ready.
- Deep fry the marinated meat at until golden brown (roughly 7-8 minutes).
- Remove and strain off any excess oil on some kitchen towel.
- On a separate hob heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok – high heat.
- Add the vegetables , turn the heat down to medium heat and stir-fry for a couple of minutes.
- Add the sauce mixture.
- Once the sauce starts to boil, add the meat into the wok and give it one big stir before taking the wok off the heat and serve.