Sweet and Sour Pork

A homemade version of your favourite takeout. Tender pork pieces are fried to golden perfection with a classic bubbly crispy coating, then tossed in a tangy, sweet and slightly sour sauce with capsicum and juicy pineapple.

Ingredients

Pork:

• 600 g pork Scotch fillet (pork butt), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tbsp all-purpose soy sauce
• 1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
• 1 tsp freshly minced ginger
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• ½ tsp sea salt flakes
• ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 egg
• 60 g cornflour (cornstarch)
• Oil, for frying

Sweet and sour sauce:

• 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp all-purpose soy sauce
• 55 g brown sugar
• 60 ml pineapple juice (from the can of pineapple)
• 80 ml apple cider or rice wine vinegar
• 80 g tomato ketchup

Stir-fry:

• 1 brown onion, diced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 red capsicum, diced
• 1 green capsicum, diced
• 95 g canned pineapple chunks in juice, drained, juice reserved

To serve:

• Jasmine rice
• White sesame seeds

Method

1. Add the pork, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, bicarbonate of soda, salt and pepper to a bowl. Mix and allow to marinate for up to 15 minutes.
2. Mix the cornflour and water together in a small bowl. Add the remaining sauce ingredients. Stir well and set aside.
3. Add the egg and cornflour to the pork mixture. Use tongs to toss and coat the pork. It will be sticky, forming a batter.
4. Heat oil in a large, deep, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Cook the pork in batches for 5–6 minutes until cooked through and crispy and golden. Set aside on paper towel to drain.
5. Pour the oil out of the pan. To the same pan over medium-high heat, add the onion and capsicum. Cook for 1–2 minutes until lightly charred.
6. Add the sweet and sour sauce and cook for 1–2 minutes until thickened and glossy.
7. Return the cooked pork to the pan, along with the pineapple chunks. Stir to coat evenly.
8. Serve immediately with jasmine rice, sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Tips

• Don’t skip the bicarbonate of soda — it tenderises the pork using the classic Chinese “velveting” technique.
• Fry the pork in smaller batches to ensure it stays crispy. Overcrowding makes it soggy.
• For a sweeter, less tangy sauce, reduce the vinegar to 60 ml.
• The pork can be air-fried at 200°C for 8–10 minutes, flipping halfway, instead of frying.