Sweet and Sour Pork (Gu Lao Rou)
By Maggie ZhuPublished on April 22, 2025
Time
1¼ hours, plus 30 minutes marinating
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Pork
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into ¾-inch pieces1 large egg, lightly beaten2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine ½ teaspoon table salt ¼ teaspoon baking soda ½ cup cornstarch ½ cup all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking powder 1½ quarts peanut or vegetable oil for fryingSauce and Stir-Fry
¾ cup pineapple juice ¼ cup packed brown sugar 3 tablespoons ketchup 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar 1½ tablespoons soy sauce 1½ tablespoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 cup ¾-inch pineapple pieces1 small white onion, cut into ¾-inch pieces1 small red bell pepper, cut into ¾-inch piecesBefore You Begin
We like to fry this in a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok, but you can use a large Dutch oven if you prefer. Letting the pork cool for 10 minutes after each fry is integral to achieving a crisp crust.
Instructions
- Combine pork, egg, Shaoxing wine, salt, and baking soda in large bowl, stirring well to coat. Let sit for 30 minutes.
- Whisk cornstarch, flour, and baking powder together in small bowl, then sprinkle over marinated pork, a little at a time, mixing to thoroughly coat after each addition, until pork is fully covered with cornstarch mixture, pressing to adhere to pork as needed. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line with triple layer of paper towels. Add oil to 14-inch flat-bottomed wok until it measures about 1½ inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees.
- Separate any stuck-together pork pieces. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, lower pork in hot oil in several spoonfuls, gently shaking to remove any excess cornstarch before adding to oil. Fry until pork is light golden and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 325 and 350 degrees. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer pork to prepared rack and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Heat oil to 375 degrees. Return pork to hot oil and fry until golden and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, return pork to prepared rack. Set pork aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- While pork cools, whisk pineapple juice, sugar, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, and cornstarch together in large bowl to dissolve sugar and cornstarch.
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add pineapple pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add onion and bell pepper and cook for 1 minute. Whisk pineapple juice mixture to recombine, then add to skillet and cook until just thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer sauce and vegetable mixture to now-empty bowl, then add cooled fried pork and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
for the pork
for the sauce and stir-fry
Time
1¼ hours, plus 30 minutes marinatingYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Pork
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ quarts peanut or vegetable oil for frying
Sauce and Stir-Fry
¾ cup pineapple juice
¼ cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1½ tablespoons soy sauce
1½ tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup ¾-inch pineapple pieces
1 small white onion, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 small red bell pepper, cut into ¾-inch pieces
Ingredients
Pork
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ quarts peanut or vegetable oil for frying
Sauce and Stir-Fry
¾ cup pineapple juice
¼ cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1½ tablespoons soy sauce
1½ tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup ¾-inch pineapple pieces
1 small white onion, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 small red bell pepper, cut into ¾-inch pieces
Ingredients
Pork
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ quarts peanut or vegetable oil for frying
Sauce and Stir-Fry
¾ cup pineapple juice
¼ cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1½ tablespoons soy sauce
1½ tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup ¾-inch pineapple pieces
1 small white onion, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 small red bell pepper, cut into ¾-inch pieces
Why This Recipe Works
To help prevent the pork from drying out as it fried, we incorporated some baking soda into the marinade. The baking soda raised the pH on the meat’s surface, making it more difficult for the proteins to bond excessively, which keeps the meat tender and moist when it’s cooked. We coated the pork with a mixture of all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. The flour helped the batter cling to the pork, and the cornstarch helped it fry up extra-crunchy instead of greasy. To help the coating withstand the sauce, we double-fried the pork, which removed more water from the pork than a single fry does, making the coating extra-crispy. We experimented with different ingredients and quantities until we landed on a sauce that was perfectly balanced—sweet and fruity, with a texture thick enough to coat the crunchy pork. Sautéed pineapple pieces boosted the fruity flavor of the dish, and onion and red pepper added color and crunch.
Before You Begin
We like to fry this in a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok, but you can use a large Dutch oven if you prefer. Letting the pork cool for 10 minutes after each fry is integral to achieving a crisp crust.
Instructions
- Combine pork, egg, Shaoxing wine, salt, and baking soda in large bowl, stirring well to coat. Let sit for 30 minutes.
- Whisk cornstarch, flour, and baking powder together in small bowl, then sprinkle over marinated pork, a little at a time, mixing to thoroughly coat after each addition, until pork is fully covered with cornstarch mixture, pressing to adhere to pork as needed. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line with triple layer of paper towels. Add oil to 14-inch flat-bottomed wok until it measures about 1½ inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees.
- Separate any stuck-together pork pieces. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, lower pork in hot oil in several spoonfuls, gently shaking to remove any excess cornstarch before adding to oil. Fry until pork is light golden and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 325 and 350 degrees. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer pork to prepared rack and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Heat oil to 375 degrees. Return pork to hot oil and fry until golden and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, return pork to prepared rack. Set pork aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- While pork cools, whisk pineapple juice, sugar, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, and cornstarch together in large bowl to dissolve sugar and cornstarch.
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add pineapple pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add onion and bell pepper and cook for 1 minute. Whisk pineapple juice mixture to recombine, then add to skillet and cook until just thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer sauce and vegetable mixture to now-empty bowl, then add cooled fried pork and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
for the pork
for the sauce and stir-fry
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