Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple
German-style sweet and sour pork stew with caramelized onions, red peppers, and fresh pineapple. Pork strips are browned and simmered in a tangy sauce made with pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, and soy sauce, thickened with cornstarch and finished with pineapple chunks.
Ingredients
- 1 onion, peeled
- ½ red pepper, cored
- cooking butter, for browningneutral oil1:1cookingdairy-free
avoids milk solids
- 1 lb pork, thinly sliced
- 1 EL flour
- ½ TL salt
- pepper
- ⅛ oz pineapple juice
- 3 EL ketchup
- 2 EL apple vinegarwhite vinegar1:1taste
milder flavor
- 1 EL soy sauce
- 2 EL water
- 1 EL cornstarch
- 4 slices pineapple
Instructions
- 1
Peel onion and cut into fine slices. Cut red pepper into fine strips. Set aside.
- 2
Heat cooking butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown pork in batches, about 2 minutes per batch. Dust with flour, remove from pan, and season with salt and pepper.
- 3
Wipe out excess fat, add more butter if needed. Braise onion and pepper over reduced heat until softened. Add pineapple juice, ketchup, vinegar, and soy sauce. Stir and bring to a boil.
- 4
Mix water with cornstarch. Add to sauce while stirring. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Return pork to pan and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- 5
Cut pineapple into pieces. Add to pan and heat through.
Tips
Brown pork in a single layer for maximum color development; avoid overcrowding the pan.
Simmer gently rather than boiling vigorously to keep pork tender.
Good to Know
Refrigerate in airtight container up to 3 days. Freezes well for up to 2 months.
Prepare through step 4 and refrigerate. Reheat gently on stovetop, add fresh pineapple just before serving.
Serve over steamed rice, boiled potatoes, or egg noodles.
Common Mistakes
Skip the flour coating to avoid losing body and richness in the sauce.
Overcrowd the pan when browning pork to avoid steaming instead of searing.
Boil vigorously after adding pork to avoid tough, stringy meat.