Sweet and Sour Chinese Fried Pork (Gubajou)

Original, spicy, appetizing, unusual taste! Chinese sweet and sour gubajou is batter-fried pork that is one of the most popular dishes in Chinese cuisine. It is very simple to make, and you will need the most common products.
cook time: 1h 40 min
Zoe Kendrick
Sweet and Sour Chinese Fried Pork (Gubajou)

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

379
Calories
33g
Fat
19g
Carbs
6g
Protein

Ingredients (4 portions)

For the battered pork:

Pork 500 g
Corn starch 200 g
Water 130 ml
Soy sauce 3 tbsp
Vegetable oil 400 ml

For the sweet and sour sauce:

Water 150 ml
Corn starch 3 tsp
Tomato paste 1 tbsp
Vegetable oil 1 tbsp
Vinegar essence 1 tsp
Sugar 4 tbsp

Recipe instructions

Step 1

Step 1
How to make Gubajou in sweet and sour sauce in Chinese? Prepare your food. Don’t be surprised that my gubajou contains no vegetables or canned pineapples. Literally, gubajou is translated as pork in starch; the remaining additives are just interpretations of this dish and rather a modification introduced into Chinese cooking from the West. Use only corn starch; potato starch will not work, it will not give such a crispy crust.

Step 2

Step 2
It is better to take lean meat for this dish. I preferred tenderloin, but carbonade can also be used. Rinse the pork, pat dry with paper towels and cut into thin slices. If you plan to add vegetables to the dish, then it is better to cut the pork in the same way as the vegetables (in strips or cubes). It will be more convenient to eat such a dish, and it will look more aesthetically pleasing.

Step 3

Step 3
Pour 3 tablespoons of starch into a deep bowl, add soy sauce and cold water, stir. Place the pork slices in this marinade, stir again until all the pieces are coated with the marinade and leave the pork to marinate for 20 minutes. I advise you to stir the contents of the bowl regularly, as the starch settles at the bottom.

Step 4

Step 4
Pour vegetable oil into the bowl in which you will fry the pork and place it on the stove to heat up. The amount of oil will greatly depend on the depth and width of the pan in which you will cook. It is better to take deep dishes, as the oil splashes a lot. Pour the remaining starch into a bowl. Roll each piece of pork in starch and deep-fry on both sides until golden brown.

Step 5

Step 5
Place the fried meat in a clean bowl. It should turn out to be a nondescript gray color. In order for the pieces of meat to get a crispy crust, it still needs to be fried in a clean frying pan with the addition of vegetable oil. The breading should take on a golden color.

Step 6

Step 6
Prepare all the ingredients for the sauce, the cooking process will be very fast, so all products should be on hand. You can use any vegetable oil; use ketchup or sauce instead of tomato paste. You can replace vinegar essence with table vinegar in the required proportion. Or use rice vinegar.

Step 7

Step 7
How to make sauce? In a small container, combine cold water and cornstarch. Set aside.

Step 8

Step 8
Take a wok pan and place it over medium heat. You can also use a regular frying pan, but the high sides will protect you from splashes; a wok is also more suitable for quickly frying foods. Mix sugar, salt and vinegar essence in a preheated frying pan. When the mass begins to melt, add tomato paste and vegetable oil. Stir. If the sugar has crystallized, don’t worry, it will melt when you add water and starch.

Step 9

Step 9
When the mixture begins to boil, quickly stir the previously mixed cold water and starch again and pour it into the pan. It is necessary to stir the water, because during the time you prepare the sauce, the starch will settle at the bottom. Cook the simmering sauce for about a couple more minutes.

Step 10

Step 10
Add the fried pieces of pork to the sweet and sour sauce, stir them for a couple of minutes so that the sauce is evenly distributed throughout the meat. There should be no sauce left in the pan, it should cover all the pieces, as if sticking. Place the gubajou on a platter and serve. Bon appetit!

Additional rubrics

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