Cassie's Kitchen/Cantonese/Entrées

咕噜肉Sweet and Sour Pork

Gū Lū Ròu — The Original

"Crispy pork, glossy sauce, perfectly balanced. Done right, this is Cantonese royalty."

40Minutes
4Servings
3/5Difficulty

The Ingredients

The Pork

  • 1 lbPork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1Egg, beaten
  • ½ cupCornstarch
  • ¼ cupAll-purpose flour
  • ½ tspSalt
  • OilFor deep frying

The Sauce

  • ½ cupKetchup
  • ¼ cupRice vinegar
  • ¼ cupSugar
  • 2 tbspSoy sauce
  • ¼ cupPineapple juice
  • 1 tbspCornstarch + 2 tbsp water

The Vegetables

  • 1Bell pepper (any color), chunked
  • 1 cupPineapple chunks
  • ½Onion, chunked

The Method

1

Mix pork with egg and salt. Let marinate 10 minutes. Combine cornstarch and flour.

2

Dredge pork in flour mixture. Heat oil to 350°F. Fry pork in batches until golden, about 4-5 minutes. Drain.

3

For extra crunch: let pork rest 5 minutes, then fry again at 375°F for 1-2 minutes until deeply golden.

Double Fry

The second fry is the secret to pork that stays crispy even after being sauced. Don't skip it.

4

Mix all sauce ingredients except cornstarch slurry in a wok. Bring to simmer.

5

Add bell pepper and onion. Cook 2 minutes until slightly softened. Add pineapple.

6

Add cornstarch slurry. Stir until sauce thickens and becomes glossy.

7

Add crispy pork. Toss quickly to coat. Serve immediately before the crust softens.

Variations

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Substitute chicken breast or thigh. Same technique, slightly shorter fry time.

Cantonese Style

More vinegar, less ketchup. Add pickled vegetables for authentic dim sum restaurant flavor.

Lychee Sweet Sour

Replace pineapple with canned lychees. A Hong Kong twist.