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Crispy Sweet and Sour Pork
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Ingredients
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Step by step
Method
5 steps
- 1
Toss 1¼ lb boneless pork loin or shoulder cut into ¾-inch cubes with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Mix in 1 egg white and 2 chopped green onions. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour (overnight is fine).
- 2
Heat about 1 quart neutral oil to 365°F (185°C) in a deep pot. Toss the marinated pork with ½ cup cornstarch until every cube looks dusty. Fry in batches 6–8 minutes until evenly golden and cooked through — no pink in the center when you cut one. Drain on a rack.
- 3
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Stir-fry 2 green bell peppers in strips, 1 sliced onion, and optional ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes until just tender-crisp, 3–4 minutes. Season lightly with a pinch of sugar and salt; set aside.
- 4
In a saucepan, combine 1 cup water, ⅛–¼ teaspoon salt, ¾ cup sugar, ½ cup apple cider or rice vinegar, ⅓ cup ketchup, and ½ teaspoon soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Add the fried pork, pepper-onion mix, pineapple chunks from a 20 oz can, and a splash of the pineapple juice. Stir until everything is hot, 1–2 minutes.
- 5
Stir 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup cold water, then drizzle it in while stirring until the sauce turns glossy and thick enough to coat the pork, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if you like and serve over rice. You want crisp pork in a bright sweet-tart glaze with soft pineapple and crisp pepper — not soggy batter in a thin ketchup soup.