Sweet and Sour Pork

If you happen to have a wok, stir-fry recipes can be loads of fun. I do not, however. So instead, I use my cast iron skillet, which gets nice and hot. The secret to making stir-fry in a skillet, is to cut all of the ingredients fairly small. And to cook them in small batches.

For instance, for this pork recipe, I sliced the pork into thin small pieces. Then I sliced the bell peppers, onion, and carrots in small bite-size pieces. Cook each of them in the skillet in batches, and once cooked, transfer them to a bowl. Continue this rotation until you bring them all together in a sweet and sour sauce. I like to serve this dish over a mound of white jasmine rice. Yum!

When you cook a large Chinese dinner, it can be a lot of work, but the key to your sanity (or at least mine) is to do as much of the prep work ahead of time. This just makes it easier when it comes time to actually cook the meal.

A little prep work makes stir-fry so much easier. It can be done earlier in the day, or even the day before, if you’re planning ahead that far in advance.

Make and freeze the Egg Rolls and Crab Rangoon. Get all of your cookware out and measurements done before you begin cooking. It saves time and craziness in the kitchen, believe me!

More Chinese Dinner Ideas

Ingredients for Sweet and Sour Pork

(As a Walmart Affiliate, I earn from qualified purchases at the links below. See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)

Gather the ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.

To begin, prepare the fresh vegetables. Chop the green and red bell peppers and sweet onion. Slice or julienne the carrots. Mince the garlic. Grate the fresh ginger. Place in prep bowls and save for later.

For fresh or canned pineapple chunks, you’ll need to slice them into bite-size pieces. If using pineapple tidbits, this is not necessary. Be sure to reserve the pineapple juice for the sauce.

If using chicken bouillon cubes, prepare with boiling water to make the broth.

In a medium bowl, prepare the sweet and sour sauce. Combine reserved pineapple juice, chicken broth, ketchup, plum jelly, granulated sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Whisk together until cornstarch has dissolved. Set aside until ready to use in final steps.

Prepare the Pork and Marinade

Slice the pork into bite-sized pieces.

I’ve also used country style pork ribs instead of a pork shoulder roast. Shop for sales and use whichever works best for you.

In a medium bowl, combine the rice and red wine vinegar, cornstarch, grated ginger, soy sauce, granulated sugar, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk together to combine. Add the pork pieces to the marinade and mix until all is coated. Allow the pork to set in the marinade for a few minutes.

Marinating the meat before cooking in stir-fry is referred to as velveting, which helps produce a nicely flavored and tender meat in the dish. 

Add a tablespoon of vegetable or peanut oil to a wok or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Once the skillet is good and hot, add half of the pork pieces to the skillet, and spread meat to the edges of the skillet, allowing space between each of the pieces. Cook until one side is lightly browned, then turn pieces to cook on the other side until golden brown. This will take about 2 minutes total. Transfer pork to a plate or bowl. Repeat with the remaining pork.

When cooking meat for a stir-fry dish, you want to remove the meat before it has thoroughly cooked through. This allows for cooking in the final steps, to produce tender pieces of meat. If you cook the meat too much, it may be tough.

Heat remaining oil in the skillet. Add prepared bell pepper, sweet onion, and carrots. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring and turning pieces until they start to brown. Transfer vegetables to a plate or bowl.

Reduce temperature to low and add the freshly grated ginger and minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté for about one minute.

Finish the Stir-Fry

To finish the dish, pour the prepared sweet and sour sauce over the garlic. Cook over medium low heat, stirring until the sauce thickens, about 1-2 minutes.

Return the vegetables and pork to the skillet. Add the prepared pineapple pieces. Stir until pork is coated in sauce. Continue simmering for another 1-2 minutes to heat through.

Place in a serving bowl, and serve with white jasmine rice. This recipe will serve 4-6 people.

No matter how well planned I think I am, when it comes time to serve, every counter in the kitchen is cluttered with pans or dishes. But the home-cooked Chinese dinner is SOOOO good, and everyone always loves it, which makes it worth doing–even if it is only once or twice a year.

Make this Sweet and Sour Pork dish the next time you’re craving Chinese…and if you feel ambitious, try adding another course or two to the dinner!

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