A proper sweet and sour pork — not the bright red, gelatinous takeout version — is a light, crispy-battered pork with a balanced sauce where the sweet and sour genuinely compete. The pork stays crispy because you fry it separately and add it to the sauce at the very last moment. Timing and the sauce balance are everything here.
Ingredients
Fry the Pork
Mix batter to a thick, smooth consistency. Coat pork pieces. Fry at 350°F (175°C) for 4 minutes until golden and crispy. For an even crispier result, double fry: first fry at 325°F for 3 minutes, rest 2 minutes, second fry at 375°F for 2 minutes. Drain on a wire rack.
The Sauce and Assembly
- In a wok over high heat, stir fry peppers 2 minutes
- Add pineapple, toss 30 seconds
- Pour in combined sauce ingredients, bring to a boil
- Add cornstarch slurry, stir until sauce thickens and coats
- Add crispy pork and toss — serve immediately
"Add the fried pork to the sauce at the very last second, just before the plate hits the table. Every minute the crispy pork sits in sauce, it softens. Combine and serve — there is no holding this dish."
Taste the sauce before adding the pork — it should be clearly sour with balanced sweetness. Every vinegar and pineapple is different. Add a little more sugar if too sharp, more vinegar if too sweet. Get the sauce right before anything else goes in.