Sweet and Sour Pork (糖醋里脊)

糖醋里脊

Sweet and Sour Pork (糖醋里脊) — Home-styleChina home cooking.

Ingredients

• pork tenderloin or loin, cut into 2 cm strips
• egg
• cornstarch
• all-purpose flour
• light soy sauce
• Shaoxing wine
• Chinkiang black vinegar (or rice vinegar)
• white sugar
• ketchup (for color + tang)
• neutral oil for frying
• white pepper

Instructions

1. Cut pork into 2 cm strips. Pat dry with paper towels — surface moisture is the enemy of crispy coating. (Surface looks matte, not wet or glossy)
2. Marinate pork: toss with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and white pepper. Rest 10 minutes. (Meat glistens, liquid absorbed)
3. Make the coating: mix cornstarch and flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge each strip, shaking off excess. (Each strip has a thin powdery white coat, no clumps)
4. Mix the sweet and sour sauce in a small bowl: vinegar, sugar, ketchup, and 2 tbsp water. Stir until sugar dissolves. (Sauce is pink-orange, uniform, no sugar granules visible)
5. Heat oil to 170°C — a wooden chopstick inserted should bubble steadily around it. Fry pork in batches 2-3 minutes until golden. Remove and drain. (Coating turns golden, bubbles slow down)
6. In a wok, pour in the sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. When it thickens (about 30 seconds), add the fried pork. Toss quickly 10 seconds to coat — do NOT over-stir or the crust will soften. (Sauce becomes glossy and clings to pork, no pooling)
7. Serve immediately on a warm plate. The crust stays crispy for about 2 minutes after saucing. (Steam rises, glaze has a satin sheen)