Easy Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe

Gu Lou Rou, also known as Sweet and Sour Pork, is a traditional and distinctive dish from Guangdong, China. It features a delightful sweet and sour flavor profile, with a crispy exterior and tender interior. The taste is rich and complex, combining sweet, sour, and savory elements harmoniously. It's not greasy at all and is very appetizing.

Sweet and Sour Pork is a classic Chinese dish known for its excellent appearance, aroma, and taste. It has a golden color, crispy texture, and a balanced sweet and sour flavor that is widely loved by diners. Now, let's learn together how to make this delicious Sweet and Sour Pork.

1.What is Sweet and Sour Pork?

Sweet and Sour Pork is a classic Cantonese dish known for its unique preparation method. It involves marinating and coating diced pork with a batter, deep-frying it until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The fried pork is then simmered with unique ingredients such as pineapple, sweet peppers, and a sweet and sour sauce. This cooking technique results in a dish with a rich and complex flavor profile, combining crispy texture with a harmonious blend of sweet, sour, salty, and savory tastes, making it very appetizing.

2.What part of the pig is used for Sweet and Sour Pork?

Sweet and Sour Pork typically uses pork belly. Pork belly is located on the belly of the pig and consists of alternating layers of fat and lean meat. The ideal pork belly for Sweet and Sour Pork has a good balance of three layers of fat to two layers of lean meat, which ensures the meat is tender and juicy. Additionally, some traditional recipes may use pure fat or fatty pork, but modern versions often use pork loin , which has a balance of fat and lean meat and is tender, making it suitable for making Sweet and Sour Pork.

3.How to make Sweet and Sour Pork crispy and fragrant?

①Coat the meat with a mixture of starch and flour: Cut the pork into small pieces, marinate with salt and pepper, then mix in a beaten egg until evenly coated. Next, coat the meat pieces with a mixture of flour and cornstarch. This process helps create a crispy outer shell when frying.

②Double frying technique: First, fry the coated meat pieces over medium heat until they turn golden brown. Remove them from the oil and allow the temperature of the oil to rise again. Then, fry the pieces a second time (double frying) to make them even crispier.

③Preparation of sweet and sour sauce: Heat some oil in a pan, sauté minced garlic until fragrant, then add tomato sauce, white vinegar, and sugar. Simmer the mixture over low heat to make the sweet and sour sauce. Adjust the ratio of sugar and vinegar according to personal taste to achieve the desired level of sweetness and sourness.

4.How to store Sweet and Sour Pork?

①If storing Sweet and Sour Pork in the refrigerator, place it in a sterilized container immediately after it has cooled down. Make sure the lid is securely closed before placing it in the refrigerator. When refrigerating, store it on the top shelf to prevent cross-contamination. If you don't have a specific container, you can use a small airtight container or a double-layered plastic bag for storage.

②When freezing Sweet and Sour Pork, place it directly into a sterilized container or a sealed plastic bag. Ensure the container or bag is tightly sealed before placing it in the freezer compartment. If you're using a plastic bag and don't have a container, flatten the Sweet and Sour Pork into a disk shape inside the bag and seal it tightly. You can use the handle of a spoon or the back of a knife to press and create portions (dividing the food into blocks) before laying it flat in the freezer compartment.

When ready to eat, simply break off the desired amount, steam until fully heated, or microwave on high until thoroughly warmed through.

Making Sweet and Sour Pork is relatively simple but requires certain cooking techniques and steps. Here's a common method for preparing Sweet and Sour Pork.