Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in 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.

The dish consists of deep-fried pork cut into bite-sized pieces and subsequently stir-fried in a more customized version of sweet and sour sauce made of sugar, ketchup, white vinegar, and soy sauce and additional ingredients including pineapple, green pepper (capsicum), and onion.

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.

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.

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!

How do you make sweet and sour pork red? Restaurants often put a drop of red food coloring to brighten up the color of the dish. You can add this when mixing the sauce. If you don't mind a more natural color, the sauce will get its color from the ketchup and brown sugar.

Sweet and sour pork: how one of the most beloved Chinese dishes went global. From takeaway shops to Michelin-starred restaurants, sweet and sour pork is globally one of the most iconic and beloved food items in Cantonese cuisine.

On the other hand, in the Chinese version the pork is cut into thin strips, lightly coated with a batter and fried until crispy. It's stir-fried with aromatics and coated with a thin layer of sauce that has a fruity, pungent, vinegary aroma but is sweet and fragrant in flavor.

Alternative Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 cup pineapple juice. 1/3 cup water. 3 tablespoons vinegar. 1 tablespoon soy sauce.

Agrodolce — Italian for “sour, sweet,” this reduction of sugar and vinegar can be enjoyed on a variety of foods. See recipe below. Chakalaka — A South African relish made with chiles, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage vinegar, spices (like masala) and traditionally eaten with braai (barbecue).

What is a substitute for vinegar in sweet and sour sauce? ›

Lemon or lime juice are the two most common substitutes for white vinegar. You can also use rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar or malt vinegar but the taste of your sauce might be a tad different. Soy Sauce – I used low sodium. Ketchup – I used store bought.

Lemons are highly acidic, making them a great meat tenderizer. A thick coating of lemon juice applied one hour before cooking will draw water from the meat, thus, improving the meat's texture. Adding too much of this marinade could actually toughen the meat.

Brine the pork.

Brining involves soaking your meat in salt water to increase the tenderness and moistness of the final dish. Brines always contain salt and water, but can also include other ingredients for added flavor like apple cider, brown sugar, rosemary, and thyme.

Boil the pork belly for about 5 minutes. This will remove a lot of the impurities from the pork and you will see a film of scum on the surface. Remove the pork belly and allow to cook on a plate or rack.

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!

This sweet and sour chicken stir-fry is a version of the Asian-style favorite that includes carrots, bell pepper, garlic, and pineapple. The requisite soy sauce and vinegar add the sour to the sweet, and voila! Serve over hot cooked rice, if desired.

Sweet & Sour Pork Cantonese

ALLERGY Advice: This dish contains: Cereals Containing Gluten (wheat, rye, spelt, oats, kamut) Eggs Milk Sesame Sulphites & sulphur Dioxide (e.g. preservative food found in some dried fruit and wines) ..