What are the ingredients for sweet and sour pork?

Mix 1 cup water, 3/4 cup sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, and salt in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in cooked pork, celery mixture, and pineapple chunks with juice. Return to a boil, then mix in remaining1/4 cup water and cornstarch.

Is sweet and sour pork a real Chinese dish?

Sweet and sour pork is a Chinese dish particularly popular in Westernised Cantonese cuisine and may be found worldwide. Several provinces in China produce various dishes that claim to be the ancestor, including a traditional Jiangsu dish called “pork in a sugar and vinegar sauce” (糖醋里脊; pinyin: táng cù lǐjǐ).

How do Chinese make pork so tender?

How do you tenderise pork for stir fry? Velveting is a Chinese technique that helps keep meat tender during stir frying. Adding cornstarch and bicarb to your meat during the marinating process helps to coat your meat, giving it a velvety feel that makes the meat feel extra soft .

What is sweet and sour sauce made of?

While sweet and sour can be found in diverse forms in China, the American version builds upon the simple mixture of sugar, vinegar, and spices with the addition of fruit juice—most commonly pineapple—and ketchup , giving the sauce both its red hue and uniquely Western flavor.

What is a substitute for pineapple juice in sweet and sour pork?

Swap the pineapples for these instead: the sourness with vinegar and the sweetness with sugar . Vinegar is just as sour as pineapples but without the sweetness. That can be remedied by using sugar. Both are an easy and simple ingredient substitutes that you already have!

What is a fun fact about sweet and sour pork?

However, it is believed that the sweet and sour pork dish was originally made with ribs rather than sliced pork . After eating the dish, these foreigners enjoyed it but didn't like the bones, so they modified the recipe, and chefs ditched the ribs and replaced it with a well-marbled pork shoulder.

What is sweet pork made of?

There are a few sweet pork recipes out there but I've found the best one to be this near-perfect imitation of Cafe Rio's sweet pork. The key ingredients are (besides pork, of course) Coca-Cola, brown sugar, chilis, enchilada sauce, and spices . Accept no substitutions!

What is Chinese sweet and sour chicken made of?

Sweet and sour chicken, one of the most popular Chinese takeout dishes, is made of puffy, golden brown pieces of fried chicken nuggets with pineapple chunks, onion, bell pepper, carrot, and a side of iconic red, sweet and sour sauce .

Where was sweet and sour pork made?

This dish of deep-fried pork, often stir-fried with pineapple and bell peppers then covered in a brightly coloured sauce, is possibly one of the best-known Chinese dishes outside China . It is widely believed to be a Cantonese dish, and is called in the local dialect.

What makes pork taste sour?

Citric and Tartaric acids trigger an innate sour taste that is attractive to pigs while their pungency is smooth and remains unnoticed. The use of acids in pig production has merited a lot of research and an even higher amount of literature around it.

Chinese Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe (2024)

Home / Recipes / Meat / Chinese Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe

Written by Lei Updated on March 15, 2024

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Sweet and sour pork is a well-known Chinese dish loved for its sweet and tangy flavors. There are lots of ways to make it.

This recipe stands out from your typical takeout version as it offers a truly authentic taste of local Chinese cuisine.

Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe

🥢 About This Recipe
🔪 How do you cook this sweet and sour pork?
🥘 Ingredients
📝 Recipe notes
🔍 FAQ

🥢 About This Recipe

What’s so special about this recipe? Well, it comes from my mom’s hometown, QuanZhou and it’s prepared in a truly authentic local style. My mom takes great pride in it and taught me how to make it.

It includes five-spice powder and involves deep frying method. The pork undergoes marination directly in the sweet and sour sauce before being coated with batter and deep-fried to perfection.

This dish is great for making in large batches, especially during New Year’s when everyone’s busy visiting family.

You can keep it in the fridge for several days, using it for stir-fries with veggies or just reheating it when you want a quick meal.

🔪 How do you cook this sweet and sour pork?

Marinating: Marinate the pork pieces in a sauce made of Chinese dark vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, and five-spice powder to create a unique burst of flavor on each bite.
Coating: coat the marinated pork with the mixture of cornstarch and flour.
Deep frying: Deep fry the pork until crispy. Or double deep frying for extra crispiness.
Stir-frying with any vegetables you like. (optional)

🥘 Ingredients

Pork: Pork scotch is a great option because it retains its moisture when deep-fried due to its natural fat content. If you don’t want so much fat in your dish, simply use pork tenderloin.
Soy sauce: Use quality soy sauce. Recommend Leekumkee soy sauce.
Chinese dark vinegar: Several varieties of Chinese black vinegar are available on the market, which vary in color and flavor. We usually use the yellow label one called ZhenJiang vinegar.You can use balsamic vinegar to replace Chinese dark vinegar.
Five Spice Powder: It packs a punch with its strong flavor, so remember that a little can go a long way. However, feel free to adjust the amount to suit your taste preferences.

📝 Recipe notes

Marinade Sauce: Maintain a 2:1:1 ratio of vinegar to soy sauce to sugar for the sauce to achieve a well-balanced flavor.
Batter Ratio: Use a 2:1 ratio of cornstarch to flour in the batter. You can increase the flour ratio for more crunchiness.
Batter Consistency: Ensure the batter isn’t too watery by removing excess marinade sauce before adding cornstarch and flour.
Texture Tip: For stir-frying purposes, consider using cornstarch or sweet potato (Kumara) powder to attain a silky texture, and you can skip using flour in the batter.
Flavor Combinations: Try stir-frying with tomatoes and baby leeks for a delicious flavor combination.
Batch Cooking: This recipe is perfect for batch cooking and freezing in small portions.

🔍 FAQ

Q: What is the difference between this recipe and the usual sweet and sour pork?

A: For the usual sweet and sour pork, the pork pieces are deep fried and then coated in the sweet and sour sauce. In this recipe, the pork is marinated directly in the sweet, sour sauce and five-spice powder and then coated with batter and deep-fried. You can taste the tangy and sweet flavor throughout the entire bite. You won’t be disappointed!

Q: How do you serve this sweet and sour pork?

A: It is a really versatile dish. It is perfect as an appetizer, the main course, or as a snack. It can be used in a stir fry with vegetables, as the topping on noodle soup, or as one of the ingredients in hot and sour soup.

Other Chinese pork recipes to try:

Pork belly slices

Pork chop noodles

Sweet and sour pork ribs

Now that you’ve got these tips and insights for this Chinese sweet and sour pork recipe, it’s time to head to the kitchen, and whip up your mouthwatering dish.