Chinese sweet and sour pork with pineapple (known as Gulaorou in Chinese language)is a featured dish from Chinese Cantonese cuisine. With its slightly sour and sweet taste and the fresh fruit flavor, it is mostly loved by people in American and also southern part of China.
I have asked some of the friends in the USA about what are their favorite Chinese dishes, I get mostly half of them choose Sweet and sour pork.We have two featured sweet and sour pork in China. One is sweet and sour pork tenderloin(糖醋里脊, which is without round peppers and pineapple) and the other one is sweet and sour pork with pineapple. To be frank, as a traditional Cantonese dish, sweet and sour pork with pineapple is not so popular across the country. But whenever I get chance to order in a Cantonese restaurant, it is always on my wish list.
Cook’s Note
- You can choose pork butt (pork shoulder) or pork belly to make this sweet and sour pork. But I do not recommend using pork tenderloin since too little oil contained. I choose pork shoulder this time. If you choose to use pork belly, remove the pork rinds.
- In order to keep the crispy shell, it is really important to make sure your sweet and sour sauce is prepared in advance and coat the pork cubes as soon as possible after deep-fried. And most importantly, serve immediately.
Instructions
Cut the pork into small cubes and place them in a large bowl. Add salt, ginger and light soy sauce. Set aside for 15 minutes. Crack the egg in and then mix in around 1/4 cup of cornstarch. 
Add the remaining cornstarch in a plate and coat the pork cubes with starch. Shake off extra flour. Make sure each piece is isolated.
Prepare other side ingredients. And prepare the sweet and sour sauce in advance. Heat up vegetable oil in pan or wok; add garlic, green onions and ginger to stir-fry over small fire. until aroma with low fire. Then fry the ketchup for a while and then add water, light soy sauce and water starch. Simmer for around 1 minute until the sauce is well thickened.
Add a very little amount of oil in wok and fry pineapple cubes and bell peppers until soft. Add well made sweet and sour sauce in. Note: if you feel the sauce is too thick, add some water to adjust the thickness. 
Return fried pork cubes and toss the wok quickly to make each pieces of the pork coated with sweet and sour sauce. Serve hot.
Serve hot! I love to serve it directly with steamed rice, so the plain steamed rice can have a sweet and sour flavor too.
- 150 g pork (pork butt or pork belly without skin)
- 1 cup fresh pineapple
- 1/2 green bell pepper , cut into small pieces
- 1/2 red bell pepper , cut into small pieces
- oil for deep frying , as needed
- 1 cup cornstarch, divided , for coating
- 1 small egg
- 2 slices ginger
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. vegetable cooking oil
- 1 tsp. minced ginger
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 tsp. minced spring onion white
- 1/2 tbsp. sugar
- 2 tbsp. ketchup
- 4 tbsp. water
- 1/4 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch + 2 tbsp. water
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Cut the pork into small cubes and place them in a large bowl. Add salt, ginger and light soy sauce. Set aside for 15 minutes. Crack the egg in and then mix in around 1/4 cup of cornstarch.
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Add 1/2 cup of cornstarch in a plate and coat the pork cubes with starch. Make sure each piece is dry and isolated.
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Prepare other side ingredients. And prepare the sweet and sour sauce in advance. Heat up vegetable oil in pan or wok; add garlic, green onions and ginger to stir-fry over small fire. until aroma with low fire. Then fry the ketchup for a while and then add water, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and water starch. Simmer for around 1 minute until the sauce is well thickened.
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Heat up enough cooking oil for deep-frying. When the oil just began to have movements on the surface, put the pork pieces to deep frying until pork pieces become golden brown. Move out and drain the oil.
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Add a very little amount of oil in wok and fry pineapple cubes and bell peppers until soft.
-
Add well made sweet and sour sauce in. Around 4 tablespoons.
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Return fried pork cubes and toss the wok quickly to make each pieces of the pork coated with sweet and sour sauce. Serve hot.
Yum, this reminds me one of my favorite dimsum restaurant in Hong Kong where I used to get sweet an sour pork along with other fabulous dimsum dishes.
Holly,
Absolutely, it is the same dish for me too.
Is the cooking wine you mentioned in sweet and sour pork, Chinese cooking wine?
That’s it Dianne. I use Chinese cooking wine for almost all of my Chinese recipes.
Your version of Sweet and Sour Pork is 100% Pure “Heaven on a Plate” and the only one that I have ever enjoyed or will ever eat again (though originally from H.K. my Grandma and Grandpa do not make this particular dish and prefer cooking Sichuan and Hunan cuisine). This has a nice gentle sweetness that doesn’t overwhelm the other ingredients, juicy delicious pineapple, perfect tender-crisp peppers, lovely blend of spices, and succulent pork that have perfect balance. I made this with both good quality farm raised heirloom pork (Berkshire) and also a large batch with free range chicken for friends that don’t eat pork.
All of my family and friends enjoyed eating your version and insist that I save the recipe to make often.
Thank you and have a wonderful and blessed day
Thanks Li,
It is quite hard to people who have never visit China to understand the “well balance of the five flavors” in Chinese cuisine. I find most of the dishes outside China is too sweet. I am so glad to have you on board. Happy cooking and keep going in your kitchen journey.
Great recipe! Thank you so much for sharing! Will make it again.
Thanks!
Nooooooo, not pineapple.
Hi, Elaine: This is a very good recipe. You forgot, however, to include sugar as an ingredient in the well made sweet sour sauce and the quantity to add to the sauce.
Thank you Jeffrey for your careful reading. I have already correct the misunderstandings.
J’ai appris qu’il y avait 2 sortes de recettes. Merci et bisous Chris 06
Yum, just yum! I am celiac, meaning I must make things from scratch using gluten-free ingredients like g-f soy sauce. Having lived for long periods in Vancouver BC and San Francisco, I have missed good Chinese food – until now. This site is amazing!
I agree with others’ comments about the balance of flavours and this particular recipe takes me back to Chinatown in Vancouver, before I was diagnosed with celiac. The texture of the batter is light and crispy, and it absorbs the sauce well. I also made a batch with the black bean sauce recipe from this site and am in heaven. Thank you so much!
Thank you Elan. You give such an encouraging comment. Happy cooking!