A delicious home recipe of a Chinese Sweet and Sour Pork recipe - takeout style - using regular ingredients without any MSG! Crispy fried battered chicken smothered in a homemade sweet and sour sauce with pineapple and peppers. I could drink this sweet and sour sauce.
Healthy Chinese Food
Generally Chinese food is quite healthy, full of vegetables, flash fried and served with rice. It sometimes gets a bad rap because of MSG that some restaurants added for flavor. If you ask Uncle Roger, MSG is ok, but there are many different opinions about this!
I told my wife that this was a healthy sweet and sour pork recipe, because it has no chemicals, added food coloring or msg. This is even true for the bright red sauce! While she agreed that was all true, she gently reminded me of the added sugar. I still stand that this is healthier than store bought sauce or Chinese takeout.
Is Sweet and Sour Chinese?
Nope, not at all, at least in the traditional sense of a Chinese recipe they enjoy in China. This is an American invention, made from Chinese American immigrants. Because it's served in Chinese restaurants, uses a wok, and looks foreign, doesn't mean it's authentic Chinese. Sweet and Sour is an authentic American recipe, and I love it!
Boneless Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe
Quite often, you will see Sweet and Sour Pork in restaurants that are not boneless. As a kid, I hated those recipes, I didn't like sucking the meat off the bones. As I grew older, I understood that meat served on the bone is more flavorful and tasty to eat. That's why they do it! This recipe uses boneless pork fillets cut into small pieces. It's easy to eat with a fork, and kid approved!
How to Make Sweet and Sour Pork
The Sweet and Sour Pork batter is easy to make, you got to get the batter right! The corn starch provides an extra crunch, so don't skip this ingredient. I throw all the pork pieces right into the batter and pull out the pieces one at a time into the hot wok. Make sure you fry them in small batches, removing then onto a paper towel so the excess oil drips off.
Next, you can stir fry your favorite vegetables, but this recipe sticks with the classics. Red Pepper, Green Peppers, Onion and Pineapple Chunks. The vegetables are flash fried for only 2 minutes, so they maintain their crunchiness. Bright, colorful and appealing, these vegetables taste delicious with the homemade sweet and sour sauce. Add the crispy pork to the vegetables and toss in the Sweet and Sour Sauce.
You want to serve this right away after mixing it all together. If you aren't eating it right away, the pork pieces will get soggy, and you lose the tasty crunch. I suggest to prepare the rice in advance so it's ready at the same time. Rice takes about 20 minutes to cook on a stove, if that helps with your timing.
Sweet and Sour As A Dip!
Bookmark this recipe for the Sweet and Sour Sauce! It can be used as an easy dipping sauce for chicken nuggets, spring rolls, potato wedges, or even over a grilled chicken breast. The sauce will thicken as it cools, but will feel quite runny while hot. If you prefer a thicker sauce, add and additional teaspoon of cornstarch into the slurry. Make it in advance and keep it in the fridge to use later!
Recipe Tips
- Use a wok if possible, it requires less oil and has even heat distribution
- Add your favorite vegetables, like broccoli, carrots, baby corn or water chestnuts
- Make the sauce in advance, and use as a dipping sauce
- Instead of pork, try thick cubes of firm fish
A healthier and tastier version of a classic American Chinese takeout. Sweet and Sour Pork recipe, it's easier to make than you think, your family will love it! Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Equipment
- Wok
Ingredients
Pork Marinade
- 1 lb /500g boneless pork sliced in strips
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing Wine or Chinese Rice Wine
- 1 clove minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
Pork Batter
- 1 cup flour
- 1 egg
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
Vegetables for Sweet and Sour
- oil for frying
- ½ green bell pepper cut into small cubes
- ½ red bell pepper cut into small cubes
- 1 can of pineapple chunks reserve juice for sauce
- ½ white onion cut into wedges
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- ¾ cup sugar
- juice from pineapple can
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch for slurry
- 4 teaspoons water for slurry
Instructions
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- In a saucepan, place the ketchup, rice wine vinegar, sugar, pineapple juice and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Prepare a cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornstarch and sugar. Add the to sweet and sour sauce and allow to simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
Sweet and Sour Pork
- Place the boneless pork strips into a bowl. Mix with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, minced garlic and cornstarch and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Mix together the flour, egg, cornstarch, salt, baking powder in a bowl. Toss the marinated pork pieces in the batter. In a wok, heat about 1 cup of oil until hot. Fry the battered pork pieces for about 4-5 minutes until the pork cooked and golden brown. Add the pork pieces one at a time, so they don't clump together as they fry. Remove and allow to drain on a paper towel on a plate. Repeat until all the pork is cooked.
- To prepare the vegetables, heat 1 tablespoon fresh oil in a wok until hot and fry the onions and bell peppers and pineapple chunks for about 2 minutes. Return the crispy pork back to the wok and pour over the sweet and sour sauce. Toss to coat, serve with steamed white rice.
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