Sweet and sour stir-fry is a popular Chinese dish made by frying vegetables and meat in a hot skillet or wok with a sweet and sour sauce made of vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar. The dish can be adapted to non-Asian cuisines and is often served with white rice.
A sweet and sour stir-fry is a way of preparing vegetables, and often meat, in a hot skillet or wok. The sweet and sour flavor can be achieved in a number of ways, although the simplest version is a combination of vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar. The meats and vegetables are fried until done, after which the sweet and sour sauce is added near the end of cooking so it doesn’t burn; the meat is sometimes marinated before being fried. One tradition that has been popularized in Chinese-style restaurants is to color the sauce with a little tomato sauce or ketchup to give it a bright orange-red hue. Although the dish originated in China, it has gained popularity in many countries around the world and has been adapted to non-Asian cuisines.
The first step in preparing a sweet and sour stir-fry is preparing all the vegetables and meats. Ingredients such as broccoli, onions, green beans, peppers, peas and mushrooms are commonly found in a skillet. More typically Asian ingredients that may be used include baby corn, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and shredded bok choy. Cooking a skillet is a fairly quick process, so the vegetables should all be chopped ahead of time so they’re ready to add to the skillet if needed. Having each vegetable cut into similar sized pieces will help ensure that everything cooks at the same speed.
The meat used is usually chicken, pork or beef. The texture of the dish pairs well with boneless cuts that are cut into bite-sized pieces matched to the size of the vegetables. Some recipes call for the meat to be marinated in soy sauce and ginger before cooking, while others have it rest in the cornstarch slurry so the sweet and sour sauce will stick to the surface and brown more easily.
Real sweet and sour sauce can be made with many ingredients. The vinegar and sugar can form a basic sweet and sour taste. The sugar can be replaced with diced fruit such as mango or pineapple. Other sweet flavors for the sauce include fino sherry, fruit preserves, or fruit juice. The acidic element is almost always vinegar or acidic fruit juices, although hoisin sauce can be used for a more subtle taste.
The cooking process for a sweet and sour skillet begins by quickly cooking the meat in a hot skillet and removing it when done. The vegetables are then added and cooked. The sweet and sour sauce is poured in and allowed to cook for a moment before the meat is returned to the pan and covered with the sauce. Cornstarch slurry is often added to thicken the sauce, help brown the meat, and make the whole dish sparkle with a sugary glaze. The finished sweet and sour fry can be served on its own or with white rice.
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