Old School Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple

Old school sweet and sour pork with pineapple (古法菠蘿咕嚕肉) is an alternative version of the recipe that I posted earlier.

I have looked further into this ever popular dish. This version is made with pineapple and a fruity sauce.

Many people make this dish with tomato ketchup and there is nothing wrong with it. However, I prefer to make the sauce with red vinegar and brown sugar as described in my previous recipe. There is not much information about how the sweet and sour sauce was made in the old days before we had the modern tomato ketchup version, but a predominate old school of thought is to use shanzha (山楂 hawthorn fruit; Crataegus pinnatifida).

Shanzha is a fruit which has vibrant red skin and looks like a small apple. It has a tarty and slightly sweet taste. It is almost impossible to find shanzha outside China, and some chefs have suggested using haw flakes (山楂餠) which are Chinese sweets made from shanzha. I am not keen on this as it contains unwanted artificial colouring. I have recently learned that mixing apricot jam with cranberry sauce and a squeeze of lemon juice will provide a pretty close taste of shanzha. It tastes really awesome although it may not be the most authentic version.

Old School Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple (古法菠蘿咕嚕肉)

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Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes 30 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 400g pork shoulder, cut into 2.5cm cubes
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 6 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp groundnut oil
• 2 whole garlic cloves, smashed
• 120g of mixed red and green sweet peppers, cut into chunky pieces
• 1 small onion, cut into chunky pieces
• 150g fresh pineapple chunks

For the sweet and sour sauce:

• 3 tbsp apricot jam
• 1.5 tbsp cranberry sauce
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp soft light brown sugar
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar (or Chinese red vinegar)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 3 tbsp white chicken stock or Chinese superior stock
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp roasted sesame oil

Instructions

1. Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Marinate the pork with egg, salt and soy sauce for 30 minutes. Coat the pork with cornflour to make a smooth batter.
3. Deep-fry the pork in vegetable oil at 180°C. Do this in 2-3 batches to avoid overcrowding. Remove any residues in the oil.
4. Deep-fry the pork a second time (and a third if necessary) until it is crispy and golden. Drain on a rack.
5. Heat 2 tbsp of groundnut oil and garlic in a wok or pan. Cook until fragrant and discard the garlic. Add the onion and sweet peppers. Stir fry until soft. Add the pork and pineapple. Mix well and then add the sauce which has been mixed earlier..
6. Cook until the sauce thickens, and toss the pork and vegetables evenly with the sauce.