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Chinese · Guangzhou

SWEET AND SOUR PORK (TANG CU LI JI)

Tang cu li ji — the original Cantonese sweet and sour pork — bears almost no resemblance to the Western adaptation that carries its name. The authentic version uses pork fillet or tenderloin pieces coated in a light batter, deep-fried twice for maximum crispness, then tossed briefly in a balanced sweet-sour sauce made from rice vinegar, sugar, ketchup (the restaurant's concession to modernity), and Worcestershire sauce. The defining quality is the maintenance of the pork's crisp batter coating as it is coated with sauce — the antithesis of the soggy, sauce-saturated Western version.

‹Swipe for the next dish›
Serves4
Total35 min
Sourced3of 16 in BC
Cook
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I

The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

600 g
pork shoulder
cut into 2 cm cubes
Your own market
40 g
cornstarch
Origin · ChinaWismettac · Vancouver →
60 ml
vegetable oil
divided
Your own market
150 g
fresh pineapple
cut into 2 cm chunks
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1
red bell pepper
seeded and cut into 2 cm squares
Your own market
1
white onion
cut into 2 cm squares
Your own market
3
garlic cloves
minced
Your own market
15 g
fresh ginger
minced
Origin · New ZealandPurely Artisan Foods · San Diego →
120 ml
pineapple juice
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
60 ml
rice vinegar
Your own market
45 ml
30 g
caster sugar
Your own market
15 ml
sesame oil
Your own market
10 g
white pepper
freshly ground
Your own market
15 g
red chili flakes
Your own market
30 ml
chicken stock
Your own market

Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.

II

The Method

1
Toss pork cubes with cornstarch and white pepper; set aside for 5 minutes.
2
Heat 30 ml oil in a wok over high heat until smoking; working in batches, sear pork for 2 minutes per side until deeply browned, then set aside.
3
Add remaining 30 ml oil to wok; stir-fry garlic and ginger for 30 seconds until fragrant.
4
Return pork to wok, add onion and bell pepper, stir-fry for 2 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
5
Whisk together pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and stock; pour into wok and bring to a rolling simmer.
6
Add pineapple chunks and chili flakes; simmer for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
7
Drizzle with sesame oil, toss to coat evenly; serve immediately over steamed white rice.
IV

Sensory Tests

◇Where it lives or dies. The moment where sweet and sour pork lives or dies is the toss — the pork must be added to the sauce and served within 60 seconds. Any longer and the cornstarch coating absorbs the sauce and the crunch is gone. Cook the sauce in advance, then fry and toss at the last moment.
Pillar V
Cross-cuisine parallels are part of membership.
The dishes this one teaches you, across the cuisines — on every recipe.
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VI

What to Pour

The pairing
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Buffalo Trace Distillery · Kentucky Bourbon Country
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Whisky
From British Columbia

Nothing from British Columbia holds against this yet.

Without alcohol

No pour without alcohol holds against this yet.

Why each one works is part of membership — Enter · from $49 a year →

The whole pairing
Pillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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Sourced through Provenance

The hands behind the plate.

Wismettac
Vancouver · cornstarch
→
Purely Artisan Foods
San Diego · fresh ginger, soy sauce
→
← PreviousSuzhou Braised Tofu (Su Shi Hong Shao Dou Fu / 苏式红烧豆腐)One standard · no exceptions