Chinese Sweet And Sour Pork Recipe

Learn how to make an authentic Chinese sweet and sour pork recipe at home, perfect for batch cooking. Even better than takeout!

4.89 from 9 votes

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Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: Chinese

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Servings:

Calories: 4702kcal

Author: Lei

Marinating: Mix Pork pieces, Chinese dark vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, five spice powder and rice wine in a container and marinate overnight in the fridge.
Coating: Mix in the cornstarch and flour. (drain out half of the marinade sauce if you want the crispy coating)
Deep frying: Pour oil into a large saucepan or small pot. Heat until pork immediately starts sizzling when you dip it in. Cook until the pork pieces are deep golden brown.

Pork: Pork scotch is a great option because it retains its moisture when deep-fried due to its natural fat content. If you don't want so much fat in your dish, simply use pork tenderloin.

Chinese dark vinegar: Several varieties of Chinese black vinegar are available on the market, which vary in color and flavor. We usually use the yellow label one called ZhenJiang vinegar. You can use balsamic vinegar to replace Chinese dark vinegar.

Five Spice Powder: It packs a punch with its strong flavor, so remember that a little can go a long way. However, feel free to adjust the amount to suit your taste preferences.

Batter Consistency: Ensure the batter isn't too watery by removing excess marinade sauce before adding cornstarch and flour.
Batter Ratio: Use a 2:1 ratio of cornstarch to flour in the batter. You can increase the flour ratio for more crunchiness.
Texture Tip: For stir-frying purposes, consider using cornstarch or sweet potato (Kumara) powder to attain a silky texture, and you can skip using flour in the batter.
Flavor Combinations: Try stir-frying with tomatoes and baby leeks for a delicious flavor combination.
Batch Cooking: This recipe is perfect for batch cooking and freezing in small portions.
Marinade Sauce: Maintain a 2:1:1 ratio of vinegar to soy sauce to sugar for the sauce to achieve a well-balanced flavor.