Sweet and Sour Pork (Gu Lao Rou)

Ingredients

• 0.75lb pork shoulder/butt OR 0.75lb pork belly (tastes better but fatty)
• 1/2 bell pepper (can use multiple colors)
• 1/4 white onion (or red or both)
• 3 oz pineapple
• Oil for frying
• 2 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp cornstarch

• Marinade:

  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce (can use light soy sauce)
  • 1 egg

• Sauce:

  • 4 tbsp ketchup
  • 4 tbsp brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp vinegar
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp water

Steps

1. Clean pork in a bowl of water and then pat dry with paper towel.
2. First, if necessary, slice the pork into long pieces running down the length of the grain. Then finally into 1/4 - 1/2 inch pieces against the grain.
3. In a marinading bowl, conbine 1 tsp garlic salt and 1 tbsp soy sauce and mix/massage pork in the bowl with the mixture for 1 minute. Then beat 1 egg into the marinading bowl and mix/massage again for 30 seconds. Set aside and prepare other ingredients.
4. Cut bell pepper into long strips and then small triangles. Cut onion and pineapples into similar size.
5. Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl. Mix thoroughly for about 60 seconds. Taste test and adjust if necessary. Set aside.
6. In the marinading bowl with the pork, add 2 tbsp flour and mix/massage for 1-2 minutes or until flour is evenly coating the pork pieces. If necessary, add dashes of water to prevent flour clumps.
7. On a plate, spread 3 tbsp of cornstarch. Lay the pork pieces on the cornstarch. Roll the pork pieces on the cornstarch and squeeze each piece multiples times in the palm of your hand to ensure the cornstarch stays on.
8. Heat frying oil up in pan to 300-350 degrees F. Test it's hot enough with wet tip of a wooden chopstick. It will bubble when it's hot enough.
9. Add the pork pieces one by one, squeezing right before dropping it into the oil to ensure the coating stays on. Do not touch the frying pork for about 1-2 minutes so the coating doesn't flake off.
10. Let the pork fry for about 7-8 minutes. Stirring occasionally to distribute heat evenly. This is to cook the pork thoroughly.
11. Take the pork out and it should be light golden brown color.
12. Reheat the frying oil up to 400 degrees F.
13. Fry the pork pieces a second time for 1-2 minutes to get a crispy exterior.
14. In a pan, on high heat, add some oil and stir fry the vegetables for about 30 seconds. Then add pineapples and continue stirfrying for another 30 seconds. Then set aside.
15. In pan, on medium to low heat, add some oil and then the sauce mixture. Reduce it for about 2-3 minutes. Stir occasionally.
16. Once the sauce is the right sauce thickness, toss in the veggies, pineapples, and pork and toss for about 1-2 minutes.
17. Serve immediately because the pork will lose its crispiness the longer you wait.

Source

Original recipe and accompanying YouTube video