Name: Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1½ lb pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces; ½ cup all-purpose flour; ¼ cup cornstarch; ½ tsp baking powder; 1 large egg; ½ cup cold water; 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying; 1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks; 1 green bell pepper, cut into chunks; 1 small onion, cut into chunks; 1 cup pineapple chunks, juice reserved; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tbsp ginger, minced; ¼ cup ketchup; ¼ cup rice vinegar; ¼ cup brown sugar; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp cornstarch, for the sauce; To finish steamed rice

Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple

Pork shoulder in a cold-water batter, double-fried for a crust that survives the sauce, tossed with bell pepper and pineapple in a ketchup-and-vinegar glaze.

Serves

Prep

25 min

Cook

20 min

Written

August 13, 2026

Ingredients

1½ lb pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces

½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup cornstarch

½ tsp baking powder

1 large egg

½ cup cold water

4 cups vegetable oil, for frying

1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks

1 green bell pepper, cut into chunks

1 small onion, cut into chunks

1 cup pineapple chunks, juice reserved

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp ginger, minced

¼ cup ketchup

¼ cup rice vinegar

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp cornstarch, for the sauce

To finish steamed rice

Method

Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, egg, and cold water into a smooth, thick batter, then toss the pork in it until every piece is coated.

Heat the oil in a heavy pot to 350°F and fry the pork in batches until pale gold and just cooked through, about 4 minutes, then drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Raise the oil to 375°F and fry the pork a second time, in batches, until deeply golden and the crust sounds crackly when tapped, about 2 minutes, then drain again.

Whisk the reserved pineapple juice, ketchup, rice vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, and the tablespoon of cornstarch until smooth.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the frying oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat and stir-fry the bell peppers and onion until crisp-tender and charred at the edges, about 3 minutes.

Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Pour in the sauce and pineapple chunks and simmer until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes.

Add the fried pork and toss until every piece is glazed, then serve immediately over rice.

Notes

The double fry is what separates this from a one-and-done cornstarch dredge — the first pass just cooks the pork through, and the second, hotter pass is what builds a crust that stays crisp after it’s tossed in sauce instead of going soft in thirty seconds. Fry in small batches both times; a crowded pot drops the oil temperature and the coating turns pale and chewy instead of shattering.

Canned pineapple is the move here, not fresh — it’s already sweet and soft, and the syrup doubles as the base of the sauce. Chicken thighs or shrimp work in place of the pork if you cut the second fry short for shrimp, which cooks through fast.