Felt like having chicken sweet and sour sauce. Went to butcher wanting to buying chicken breast fillets but it’s way too much my budget. On my way out from the butcher I decided to just browse the chicken fillets in the supermarket close by. They are not on sale. However, minced pork is on sale. Bought it with a can of pineapple pieces. Forgot to buy red and green capsicums. Well, next time will get them and make it with chicken fillets.  

Google: “Sweet and sour is a generic term that encompasses many styles of sauce, cuisine, and cooking methods. It is commonly used in East Asia and Southeast Asia and has been used in England since the Middle Ages. Sweet and sour sauce remains popular in Asian and Western cuisines.”

“While sweet and sour can be found in diverse forms in China, the American version builds upon the simple mixture of sugar, vinegar, and spices with the addition of fruit juice—most commonly pineapple—and ketchup, giving the sauce both its red hue and uniquely Western flavour.”

My version would be Malaysian version created from my grandma, mom, my aunty and a bit of me. It’s a simple sauce that have a hint of spiciness that me. I am doing it by cooking the minced pork and then add into the sauce. My sauce is not thick like many, nor it is deep red, or red colouring thick type. I am glad to have a plate to serve with rice. Let’s cook!!!!

Ingredients

Meatballs

500 g minced pork
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tsp ginger powder
2 Tsp garlic powder
2 Tsp onion powder
1 Tsp Chinese 5 spice (OPT)
2 Tsp oil
2 Tsp shao xing Chinese cooking wine (OPT)
1 Tsp soy sauce
1 Tsp teriyaki sauce
1 Tbs cornflour
pepper
salt
oil, to cook meatball

Sweet and sour sauce

227 g can pineapple pieces in juice
1/4 c rice wine vinegar
1 Tbs oil
1 Tbs tomato ketchup
1 Tbs chili sauce
4 Tbs castor sugar
1 Tsp soy sauce
1 Tsp cornflour + 2 Tsp water

Method

Make the meatballs

Using your hands, mix together all the ingredients in a big bowl, except oil to cooking meatballs. Wet both hands with some water and shape like balls. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Heat up a pan with 1 Tbs oil, over medium heat. Add the meatballs, in batches, lightly press down meatballs and cook, tossing, for 8 minutes or until brown and cooked. Drain them on a plate lined with paper towels.

Make the sauce

Heat another 1 Tbs oil in the pan over medium low heat. Add half pineapple pieces and all the juice from the can, tomato ketchup, rice wine vinegar, chili sauce, sugar and soy sauce and bring to the simmer and sugar is dissolved. Add cornflour mixture, stirring constantly. Then cook until the sauce thickens slightly about 2-3 minutes. Note: Take care not to burn the aromatics and ketchup; this will enhance the sauce to have sweet sour flavour.

Add the meatballs and the remaining pineapple pieces to warm up about 4-5 minutes. Spoon onto serving plate and eat it with cooked rice and with a glass of white wine. Enjoy!!!!

https://helenscchin.com/2024/04/22/minced-pork-pineapple-in-sweet-and-sour-sauce

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