Sweet and Sour Pork

Versión en español

I have always liked the westernized Chinese food sold in Chile, especially the Pineapple Sweet and Sour Pork. And now that I live in the USA, it still entertains me to compare the versions of Chinese food available. And I have also been able to try authentic Chinese food. Here in Houston, there is a significant Chinese American population and a Chinatown full of restaurants and supermarkets with all the options.

My favorite is Mala Sichuan. As in Chile, all the dishes are served downtown to share, and that is one of the things I enjoy most, combining flavors and textures. In Chile, this sweet and sour pork is called Costillar Cantonés. It's served with the same side dishes as here: fried rice and vegetables.

Other Chinese-Chilean dishes on the blog are Mongolian Beef and Chicken Chop Suey. I have adapted the flavors to what one expects from Chinese-Chilean food. I hope you like them. I love how these dishes are quick to put together and so full of flavor, also they re-heat quite well on the microwave.

And you can use this recipe and change the pork for chicken and make chicken with pineapple. It is the same recipe.

Sweet and Sour Pork

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• Author: Pilar Hernandez
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 4
• Category: Main dish
• Method: stove-cooked
• Cuisine: Chinese

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Description

A Chinese-Chilean version.

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Ingredients

Units USM

• 1 pound of pork shoulder or belly cuts, or chicken
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ tablespoon rice vinegar or white wine or apple vinegar

for the batter,

• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• frying oil

for the sauce,

• ¼ cup of water
• ½ tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons rice or apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons sugar, to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt

to assemble the plate,

• 1 clove garlic, finely ground
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 green bell pepper cut into pieces
• 1 red bell pepper cut into pieces
• 4 fine chopped scallions the white part and the beginning of the green
• 1 small can of sliced pineapple, chopped into large chunks, drained
• 2 tablespoons maraschino juice, optional

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Instructions

1. Cut the pork into pieces of about 1 inch. Place in a bowl and add soy and vinegar. Stir. Let stand 15 minutes.
   
2. Heat the frying oil in a deep pot so that it splashes as little as possible. It must reach a temperature of 180 C or 350F.
3. Prepare the vegetables: peppers, chives, etc.
   
4. Mix the ingredients of the sauce: in a jar place the cold water and the cornstarch, dissolve. Add ketchup, vinegar, soy, salt, and sugar (start with ½ tablespoon of sugar if you want it less sweet).
   
5. Add the egg and the 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the meat and stir well until a batter forms.
   
6. Place the rest of the cornstarch (¼ cup) on a plate.
   
7. Remove the pieces of meat and cover them with cornstarch and fry. I did it in two batches, fry until the pork is golden on all sides, about 10 minutes. Monitor the heat so that the oil stays hot. Remove the fried pork pieces to a plate covered with paper towels.
   
8. Heat the wok or a wide pan, place a tablespoon of vegetable oil, garlic, and ginger. Stir, add the peppers and pineapple. Cook for 5 minutes. Pour the sauce and add the vegetables (except scallions), stir, and as soon as it has thickened, taste. If it lacks sweetness, add more sugar to taste and the juice of the maraschinos. Stir.
   
9. When you are happy with the taste of the sauce, add the fried pork and the scallions, stir everything until everything is well mixed.

   

10. Serve immediately.
    

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Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 512
• Sugar: 19.8 g
• Sodium: 1106.7 mg
• Fat: 26.3 g
• Saturated Fat: 18.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 37 g
• Fiber: 2.1 g
• Protein: 32.3 g
• Cholesterol: 132.6 mg