P
Chinese · Guangzhou
Sweet and Sour Pork
Cantonese sweet and sour pork (gu lao rou) is crispy fried pork pieces in a glossy, balanced sweet-sour-savoury sauce with capsicum, onion, and pineapple. The sauce must be balanced — the Chinese name gu lao means old-fashioned vinegar-sweetness. The commercial orange-red sauce of Chinese takeaways is a bastardisation. The authentic sauce uses Chinkiang vinegar, sugar, ketchup in small amounts, and pineapple juice.
‹Swipe for the next dish›
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
120 ml
pineapple juice
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
60 ml
rice vinegar
Your own market
45 ml
soy sauce
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
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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.
Pillars V — VII
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