If you polled Canadians and asked them what their favourite Chinese dish was, sweet and sour pork would be among them. It’s been listed on Chinese restaurant menus around our country for decades and many folks, including me, can’t resist it.
Why?
Well, the umami-rich pieces of pork in it are fried and succulent, and they are surrounded with a sweet- and sour-tasting sauce that enhances those qualities. Serve the sweet and sour pork with hot steamed rice and, simply put, you have appealing, familiar tasting, comfort food that people want to order time and time again.
According to several sources, sweet and sour pork has it origins in the Cantonese cuisine of the 18th century. In the early 20th century, Chinese immigrants, some of whom worked on railroads, introduced the dish to places such as the United States and Canada. When Chinese restaurants started opening all over the continent, they served sweet and sour pork, but to suit local tastes, it was sweeter and less piquant then what’s enjoyed in China.
During Chinese Lunar New Year, which began yesterday and runs until Feb. 15, you might see sweet and sour pork listed on special, multi-dish menus celebrating the occasion. Lunar New Year is a wonderful time to support our local Chinese restaurants by dinning in or ordering out.
You can also make sweet and sour pork at home. To make it, cubes of pork shoulder steak are marinated in a soy sauce, garlic and ginger mixture, before being lightly coated in flour and fried until golden. The pork is then added to a sweet and sour sauce that also contains bell peppers, onions and pineapple. Very tasty!
Sweet and Sour Pork
Succulent, marinated, fried pieces of pork are served in a sweet and sour sauce with bell peppers, onions and pineapple. Serve the pork with rice and a steamed green vegetable, such as baby bok choy or broccoli.
Preparation time: 45 minutes, plus marinating time
Cooking time: about 15 minutes
Makes: three to four servings
1 1/4 lbs. (575 grams) boneless pork shoulder steak
1/3 cup soy sauce (see Note 1)
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup unsweetened pineapple juice (see Note 2)
2 Tbsp rice or cider vinegar
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp peanut or vegetable oil, plus some for frying
1 cup canned, drained, unsweetened pineapple chunks
1/2 cup green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup white or yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 Tbsp thinly sliced green onion, or to taste
Cut pork into one-inch cubes, trimming off and discarding any large pieces of fat. Set in a bowl, add the soy sauce, ginger, garlic and cornstarch, and toss to combine. Cover pork, refrigerate and marinate eight hours, or overnight.
When ready to cook the pork, place ketchup, juice, vinegar and sugar in a second bowl, mix to combine, and then set aside for now.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Line a second baking sheet with paper towel.
Put the flour in a wide sided plate or pie plate. Drain the soy sauce marinade from the pork. Coat each piece of pork with flour, shaking off the excess, and then set on the baking sheet with the parchment paper, not touching.
In a pot (mine was eight-inches wide), pour in one- or two-inches of peanut (or vegetable) oil. Set over medium-high heat and warm oil to 350 F. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain that temperature.
Fry the floured cubes of pork, in three or four batches, about two to three minutes per batch, until golden brown and cooked through. Set the fried pork on the baking sheet with the paper towel as you go along. When frying the pork, preheat oven to 200 F.
When all the pork is fried, set in the oven to keep warm.
Pour the 1 Tbsp oil into a wok or very large skillet set over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the pineapple, bell peppers and onion and stir-fry two to three minutes. Add the pork and ketchup mixture to the pan, bring to a simmer, and simmer one to two minutes. Spoon the pork onto a serving platter or shallow bowl, sprinkle with green onion, and enjoy.
Note 1: Don’t use dark soy sauce here or it will overly darken the meat. I used lighter in style Kikkoman brand soy sauce.
Note 2: You can get the 1/3-cup pineapple juice from the can of pineapple chunks you drain and use for the recipe.
Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
