Adam Liaw’s sweet and sour pork

Name: Adam Liaw’s sweet and sour pork
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 300g pork spare ribs (skin removed) or porkneck, cut into 3cm cubes; ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda; ½ tsp salt; ½ tsp chicken stock powder; 1 egg; 1 cup potato starch; about 1 litre vegetable oil, for deep-frying; ½ brown onion, cut into 3cm pieces; ½ red capsicum, cut into 3cm pieces; ½ green capsicum, cut into 3cm pieces; ½ cup tinned pineapple chunks, drained

Adam Liaw

September 12, 2024

easyTime:< 30 minsServes:4-6

This Cantonese version of the Chinese classic is ever popular.

Ingredients

300g pork spare ribs (skin removed) or pork
neck, cut into 3cm cubes
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp chicken stock powder
1 egg
1 cup potato starch
about 1 litre vegetable oil, for deep-frying
½ brown onion, cut into 3cm pieces
½ red capsicum, cut into 3cm pieces
½ green capsicum, cut into 3cm pieces
½ cup tinned pineapple chunks, drained

Sweet and sour sauce

¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup tomato sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp potato starch

Method

Step 1
Combine the pork with the bicarb, salt, stock powder and egg and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Add the potato starch and mix to form a thick batter.
Step 2
Heat the oil to 180C in a medium saucepan. Using chopsticks, drop each piece of pork into the oil individually to stop them from sticking together. Fry for 5 minutes until the pork is cooked through. Drain on a wire rack and allow to cool.
Step 3
Combine the sauce ingredients with ½ cup of water in a small pan. Simmer for a minute or two until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce is thickened, whisking to remove lumps. If not thick enough, whisk in a little more potato starch mixed with cold water.
Step 4
When ready to serve, heat the oil to 200C and fry the pork again for about 2 minutes until crisp and browned. Heat a wok over high heat and add about 1 tbsp of oil. Add the onion and red and green capsicum and toss for about 2 minutes until slightly softened but not coloured. Add the fried pork, pineapple and the sauce and toss together. Serve immediately.

Adam’s tip: Bicarb of soda, used to create the carbon dioxide that helps cakes rise, can also be used to tenderise meats, stretch noodles or help browning.