Goo Lou Yok - 咕嚕肉

Goo Lou Yok - 咕嚕肉 -Sweet and Sour Pork, the ubiquitous and arguably the most well-known Chinese recipes in the world, is a classic Cantonese dish. Called “咕嚕肉” or “goo lou yok” in Cantonese dialect, sweet and sour pork is very pleasing to the palate because of the flavorsome sweet and sour sauce–the sweetness from sugar plus the tangy ketchup and sharp rice vinegar–with the crispy fried pork pieces. The green and red bell peppers and pineapple pieces are just icing on the cake.The secret of an authentic sweet and sour pork dish lies in the perfect balance of the sweet vs. sour taste of the sauce. To master this dish, it’s not about the technique of stir-frying nor the use of the freshest ingredients, although both are equally important and wouldn’t hurt. The sweet and sour sauce is the soul of this dish; if you fail the sweet and sour sauce, you fail the dish.

Yield:

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin (cut into bite size pieces)
2. 1/2 green bell pepper (about 2 oz. and cut into pieces)
3. 1/2 red bell pepper (about 2 oz. and cut into pieces)
4. 2 stalks scallions (only the white part, cut into 2 inch length)
5. 1 piece fresh/canned pineapple ring (cut into small pieces)
6. 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
7. Oil for frying
8. .
9. For the marinade:
10. ===============
11. 1 teaspoon soy sauce
12. 1/2 teaspoon corn flour
13. 1/2 teaspoon rice wine
14. .
15. For the frying batter:
16. ===============
17. 1/2 cup water
18. 2 oz. all-purpose flour
19. 1 oz. corn starch
20. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
21. 1/2 egg
22. 1 teaspoon cooking oil
23. 1 small pinch of salt
24. .
25. For the sweet and sour sauce:
26. ===============
27. 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
28. 1 teaspoon plum sauce
29. 1/8 teaspoon Chinese rice vinegar (transparent in color)
30. 1/2 teaspoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
31. 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
32. 1 teaspoon corn starch
33. 1 teaspoon sugar
34. 2 tablespoons water

Directions

1. Cut the pork tenderloin into pieces and marinate with the ingredients for 15-20 minutes.
2. Mix the sweet and sour sauce ingredients well and set aside.
3. Strain the dry ingredients of the frying batter and then add in the egg, water, and cooking oil to form a thick batter.
4. When the pork is well-marinated, transfer the pork pieces into the batter and make sure they are well coated. In a deep skillet, add in the cooking oil enough for deep-frying. Once the oil is hot, deep fry the pork pieces until they turn golden brown. Dish out and drain on paper towels.
5. Heat up a wok and add in some cooking oil. Add in the chopped garlic and stir fry until light brown, then follow by the bell peppers and pineapple pieces. Stir fry until you smell the peppery aroma from the peppers and then add in the sweet and sour sauce. As soon as the sauce thickenens, transfer the pork into the wok and stir well with the sauce. Add in the chopped scallions, do a few quick stirs, dish out and serve hot with steamed white rice.

Notes