Chinese Sweet and Sour Pork Balls by Kwoklyn Wan

I absolutely love a bag of sweet and sour pork balls from the Chinese takeaway! Now I live in a more rural location, we can no longer get Chinese takeaway delivered, and it’s a fair hop into the nearest town to collect. So it’s great to have this recipe from Kwoklyn Wan’s Chinese Takeaway in 5 to hand so that we can make Chinese takeaway-style sweet and sour pork balls at home.

Like all the recipes in Chinese Takeaway in 5, this sweet and sour pork balls recipe uses only five key ingredients, plus a couple of items from the basic store cupboard that Wan recommends at the start of the book.

Read our full review of Chinese Takeaway in 5: 80 of Your Favourite Dishes Using Only Five Ingredients.

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Sweet and Sour Pork Balls

What can I say about one of the most recognised Chinese takeaway dishes ever invented? These deep-fried balls – crispy on the outside, juicy in the middle – are oh so yummy. This recipe, or something similar, is pretty much used in every takeaway across the world.

Servings 4 servings

Author Kwoklyn Wan

Ingredients

• 125 g (1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 340 g (12 oz) boneless pork chops, rind removed and cut into 3cm (1¼in) cubes
• 120 ml (½ cup) ready-made sweet and sour sauce

From the store cupboard

• 1 tsp salt
• 500 ml (2 cups) vegetable oil

Notes

Keep any leftover batter in the fridge and use within 3 days.

Instructions

• In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs with 2 tablespoons of the oil and 250ml (1 cup) water. Add the wet mixture to the flour and mix well to create a smooth paste. Drop the pork into the flour paste, thoroughly coating each piece. You may have leftover batter (see Note).
• Preheat the remaining oil to 170°C (340°F) in a deep-sided wok or saucepan and carefully lower the coated pork into the oil one piece at a time, in batches of 8–10 pieces. Fry for 6–8 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. If you have a food probe thermometer, the internal temperature should reach 78°C (170°F). Remove the cooked pork from the oil and allow it to drain on a wire rack or a plate lined with kitchen paper.
• If you like your sweet and sour balls super crispy, once they have cooled for 10 minutes, simply drop them back in the oil for a second fry for a couple of minutes.
• Warm your sweet and sour sauce, arrange the crispy pork balls on a plate and serve with the sauce.

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Kavey Eats received a review copy of Chinese Takeaway in 5 by Kwoklyn Wan from publishers Quadrille. Recipe published with permission. Book photography by Sam Folan.