Sweet & Sour Pork

Ingredients

Pork & Marinade

• 600 g pork shoulder or scotch fillet, trimmed and cut into 2.5 cm cubes
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 egg white
• 1½ tbsp cornflour/cornstarch

Dry Coat (for extra crunch)

• 60 g (½ cup) cornflour/cornstarch
• 30 g (¼ cup) plain flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp fine salt

Vegetables & Add-ins

• 1 green capsicum (bell pepper), 2.5 cm pieces
• 1 red capsicum, 2.5 cm pieces
• 1 small red onion, 2.5 cm wedges
• 200 g pineapple chunks (fresh or drained canned)
• 2 tsp neutral oil (for stir-fry)
• Oil for frying (about 700 ml for a medium pot)

Sweet & Sour Sauce

• 120 ml (½ cup) pineapple juice (or water)
• 60 ml (¼ cup) rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
• 60 ml (¼ cup) ketchup
• 45 g (3 tbsp) sugar
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce (optional, colour)
• 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
• 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp cold water (slurry)

Equipment

• Wok or large sauté pan
• Medium saucepan or pot for frying
• Wire rack or paper-towel-lined tray
• Tongs or chopsticks; instant-read thermometer (helpful)

Method

1. Marinate pork. In a bowl, mix soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and ginger. Add pork and toss. Stir in egg white and 1½ tbsp cornflour to lightly coat. Rest 10 minutes while you prep the sauce and veg.
2. Make sauce. In a jug, whisk pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, light soy, dark soy (if using), and sesame oil. Keep the cornflour slurry separate.
3. Coat pork. Combine the dry-coat ingredients in a shallow bowl. Dredge marinated pork pieces, pressing to adhere. Shake off excess.
4. Fry pork (2-stage for crisp). Heat oil to 170 °C. Fry pork in batches 3–4 minutes until pale golden. Drain on rack. Increase oil to 190 °C and refry 45–60 seconds until deep golden and very crisp. Drain well.
5. Stir-fry veg. Heat 2 tsp oil in a hot wok. Add capsicums and onion; stir-fry 2 minutes until vibrant but still crisp-tender. Add pineapple; toss 30 seconds.
6. Thicken sauce. Pour sauce into the wok; bring to a boil. Stir in slurry and cook 20–30 seconds until glossy and syrupy (it should coat a spoon).
7. Toss & serve. Add crispy pork; toss quickly to coat (30–45 seconds). Serve immediately over steamed jasmine rice. Garnish with sliced spring onion or sesame seeds if you like.

Notes & Substitutions

• No deep-fry? Shallow-fry in 1–1.5 cm of oil, turning to brown all sides; still use the 2-stage approach for best crunch.
• Gluten-free: Use all cornflour and a GF soy sauce (tamari). Replace plain flour in the coat with more cornflour.
• Less sweet: Reduce sugar by 1 tbsp and add 1 tsp extra vinegar; adjust to taste at the end.
• Pork swap: Chicken thigh works well; cook times similar. For prawns, skip the double-fry (one fry at 180 °C for ~1½–2 minutes).
• Make-ahead: Keep pork and sauce separate; re-crisp pork in a 200 °C oven for 8–10 minutes, then toss in hot sauce to serve.

Approx. Nutrition (per serving)

~560 kcal • ~33 g protein • ~24 g fat • ~53 g carbs • ~940 mg sodium
Estimates only; varies with frying oil absorption and sauce adjustments.

FAQ