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Sweet and sour pork (咕嚕肉, gūlǎoròu) is Cantonese in origin — 'gūlǎo' is onomatopoetic, mimicking the gurgling of the sauce in the wok. The Guangzhou version uses pork shoulder cut into chunks, marinated, battered in a light coating, fried until crispy, then tossed in a sauce of Shaoxing wine vinegar, sugar, pineapple juice, and ketchup (which entered Cantonese cooking in the early 20th century through trade). The version exported to American Chinese restaurants in the 20th century became sweeter, redder (more ketchup, more dye), and less vinegar-forward — a simplification that made it approachable to non-Chinese diners but diverged significantly from the Guangzhou original. The pork must be fried twice for maximum crispness and added to the sauce at the last second so the coating doesn't soften.
In a bowl, combine the cornstarch and all-purpose flour.
In another bowl, beat the egg and water together.
Dip each piece of pork into the egg mixture, then coat with the flour mixture. Shake off any excess flour.
Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan or wok over medium-high heat.
Fry the pork pieces in batches until they are golden brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes per batch.
Remove the pork from the oil and drain on paper towels.
In a small bowl, mix together the ketchup, rice vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce.
In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch with water to create a slurry.
In a large skillet or wok, heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
Add the bell pepper and onion, and stir-fry for about 3-4 minutes until they start to soften.
Add the pineapple chunks (if using) and cook for another 2 minutes.
Pour the sauce mixture into the skillet with the vegetables.
Bring the sauce to a simmer, then add the cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Stir until the sauce thickens.
Add the fried pork pieces to the skillet and toss everything together until well combined and heated through.
Serve the sweet and sour pork hot, with steamed rice.
Cantonese fried pork in vinegar-sugar sauce; Guangzhou original is balanced; Chinese-American version is sweeter and redder.
Guangzhou (Canton), Guangdong; exported globally through Cantonese immigration; modified in Chinese-American restaurants from the 19th century.
Pork shoulder (diced), batter (flour + cornstarch), pineapple, bell pepper, onion; sauce: rice vinegar, sugar, ketchup, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch.
Double-fry the pork (first at 160°C to cook through, then at 190°C to crisp) and add to the sauce only at the moment of serving — the coating softens within 2 minutes.
Steamed jasmine rice, stir-fried bok choy; as part of a Cantonese family-style meal with multiple dishes.