Chinese sweet and sour pork. A delicious dish packed full of flavor and so easy to make. Great for the whole family and can be easily adapted.
To continue our Chinese Cooking and Stir Fry series, today I would like to share a recipe for Chinese Sweet and Sour Pork but, it works for beef just as well!
If you are just joining us, I began stir frying Chinese food when we lived in Switzerland. Living in Switzerland for 4 years gave us the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and from all different cultures!
One such friend was a Chinese American gal who had married a Swiss man. She taught me the basics of stir fry, shared her recipes and encouraged creative cooking. Since that time, stir fry has been a much enjoyed method of cooking – I probably should say of “eating”, in our house.
The Key To A Good Stir Fry
The key to good stir fry is to cook over high heat quickly. To do this, it is important to have everything ready (meat and veggies chopped, sauces mixed) so you are pausing the constant stirring only to add the next ingredients.
Once the oil is heated in your wok and ingredients added, your attention should not divided between preparation and stirring. Don’t worry if you have yet to purchase a wok, I cooked stir fry in a 6 qt boiler for awhile before investing in one!
But, that said, a wok does make a difference especially in the speed at which you can cook.
The traditional oil used in stir fry is peanut oil. Today, many people are allergic to peanuts so coconut and olive oil may also be used. A high smoke point – the temperature at which the oil is heated and begins to smoke – is important because once the smoke point is reached, a bitter flavor can be imparted to the food and carcinogens may be produced.
If you are new to stir fry, Stir Fry Basics will give you the information you need to get started including the how-to’s, equipment and ingredients used. Other recipes in this series include Chinese Chicken with Walnuts and Chinese Stir Fry Seasoning for Vegetables.
How To Make Chinese Sweet And Sour Pork Step by Step
Cut the meat into 1 inch pieces.
Mix marinade and pour over the meat in a bowl that you can refrigerate. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Cut green peppers, onions and pineapple into 1 inch pieces.
Heat 1 c. of oil in the wok over high heat. While heating, coat meat in 1/2 c cornstarch.
Fry meat in the wok until brown (about 2 minutes). Remove from the wok. Reheat the oil (add more if necessary) and fry the meat once more until crispy. Remove from wok and drain.
Heat 2 Tbsp oil in wok. Fry peppers, onions and pineapple – stir constantly.
Add seasoning sauce and continue stirring until thickened.
Turn off heat and add meat – mix well.
Serve immediately – it’s great with rice or alone!
Better than takeout!
- 1 lb pork tenderloin or beef
- 2 green peppers
- 2 onions
- 4 slices pineapple unsweetened
- 1/2 c cornstarch
- 6 c peanut oil The original recipe calls for this amount but I use just enough to stir fry each step. Coconut or Olive oil may also be substituted.Marinade for meat:
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce or liquid aminos If you are gluten intolerant, use gluten free soy sauce.
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp cold water
- 1 egg white
- 3 Tbsp vinegar
- 4 Tbsp raw sugar or honey
- 4 Tbsp ketchup
- 5 Tbsp cold water
- 3 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Cut the meat into 1 inch pieces.
- Mix marinade and pour over the meat in a bowl that you can refrigerate. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Cut green peppers, onions and pineapple into 1 inch pieces.
- Heat 1 c. of oil in the wok over high heat. While heating, coat meat in 1/2 c cornstarch.
- Fry meat in the wok until brown (about 2 minutes). Remove from the wok.
- Reheat the oil (add more if necessary) and fry the meat once more until crispy. Remove from wok and drain.
- Heat 2 Tbsp oil in wok. Fry peppers, onions and pineapple - stir constantly.
- Add seasoning sauce and continue stirring until thickened.
- Turn off heat and add meat - mix well.
- Serve immediately - it's great with rice or alone!
- Enjoy!
Beef also works well as a substitute for the pork.
outdoor cooking equipmewnt says
Yes! Finally something about asian cooking.
Emily Kemp says
This looks really delicious, something I’m dying to try!