Homemade Sweet and Sour Pork – A Dinner Delight

If you're a fan of Chinese takeaway classics, sweet and sour pork might already be an irresistible dish. It's one of those dishes that strikes the perfect balance between indulgence and comfort food. I've always loved this dish, but my preference leans towards a more natural, homemade version of the sweet and sour sauce. Inspired by my Mum's sweet and sour pork ribs recipe, I recreated this homemade sweet and sour pork - and it's become an instant favourite in our house.

Whenever I mention it's on the dinner menu, my sons light up with excitement. It's not something I cook every week, but when I do, it's always a treat. The combination of crispy, tender pork and a perfectly balanced sweet and tangy sauce is pure comfort food.

Making Sweet and Sour Pork

1. Choosing the right cut of pork and marinating it.

To make the best sweet and sour crispy pork, start with the right cut of meat. Pork shoulder is ideal because it has the perfect balance between lean and fatty, ensuring a tender texture without being dry or overly greasy. I find that slicing it into pieces about 0.7cm thick gives the best results - thick enough for a satisfying bite and thin enough to absorb all the flavours of the sauce. A little tip: if you buy pork shoulder steaks in the supermarket like I do, pop the tray in the freezer for about half an hour before slicing, it's much easier to cut neatly.

Once the pork is sliced, marinate it in a mixture of salt, freshly ground pepper, and a couple of tablespoons of tapioca or cornflour/corn starch. These flours help create that crispy coating when the pork is fried and thicken the sauce too. If you prefer super tender pork, you can add a pinch of baking soda to the marinade - a trick often used in Chinese cooking - but I personally skip this, as I like the pork to retain some bite. Let the pork marinate for about 15 minutes.

2. Preparing the Vegetables

While the pork is marinating, prepare the vegetables. Cut a big onion into wedges, mince garlic cloves, and chop bell pepper and pineapple into bite-sized pieces. Set these aside - they'll add layers of flavour, colour and crunch to the dish.

3. Frying the pork

Now it's time to fry the pork. Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a flat pan until it's nice and hot. Fry the pork pieces on high heat, giving each side about two minutes to develop a golden-brown crust. Be careful not to over-fry, as this can make the pork dry and tough. Once done, set the pork aside while you prepare the sauce.

4. Preparing the sauce

For the sauce, I mix equal parts sugar, fish sauce and vinegar, with half part of soy sauce and dilute it all with water. The type of vinegar you use is flexible - apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar both work well. To start the sauce, sauté minced garlic and onion wedges in the same pan you used for frying the pork, letting them cook until fragrant and golden. Then pour in the sauce mixture and bring it to a boil.

5. Combine everything

Once the sauce is bubbling, add the fried pork pieces and pineapple cubes. The pineapple isn't just for flavour, its natural acidity helps tenderise the pork as it cooks. Reduce the heat to low and let everything simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken naturally, but if it gets too thick, add a little boiling water to loosen it up.

To wards the end of the cooking time, toss in the chopped bell peppers for a burst of colour and crunch. Let them cook for a couple of minutes, just until they're slight softened but still vibrant. At this point, the sauce should be glossy, clinging beautifully to the crispy pork.

Tips for success

• Choose the right cut: Pork shoulder is ideal for its balance of fat and lean meat, delivering the perfect texture.
• Freezer tip: Pop the pork shoulder in the freezer for 30 minutes before slicing - this makes it easier to cut evenly.
• Balancing flavours: Adjust the sweetness or sourness to your taste by tweaking the sugar and vinegar amounts.

Why you'll love the dish

The crispy pork, tender pineapple, and vibrant sauce come together to create a dish that feels both indulgent and comforting. It's a perfect midweek pick-me-up or a weekend treat, and it's guaranteed to bring smiles to the table.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice and your favourite greens for a meal that's satisfying, flavourful, and surprisingly easy to make.

Let me know how your sweet and sour pork turns out! Tag me on Instagram or share your tweaks in the comments below.

You can find different methods and tools for cooking jasmine rice here and don't forget to try my other recipes which go very well with rice.