Gubajou in Chinese sweet and sour sauce

Step-by-step preparation

Cooking time: 1 hr 40 mins

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.

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.

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.

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 depend greatly 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.

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.

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.

7. STEP 7

   

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

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.

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.

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!

Comments on the recipe

Moderator Ksenia

01.09.2023

4.8

Gubajou in Chinese sweet and sour sauce is a very appetizing dish with a bright and rich taste: there is sweetness, piquancy, and sourness. Overall, it turned out amazingly delicious! I didn't have cornstarch and used breadcrumbs instead for a crispy crust. I fried the pork in the deep fryer. My machine is old and no longer produces full power, so each piece of meat was deep-fried for about 6-7 minutes. Thanks to the breadcrumbs, the crust turned out very crispy. For the sauce, I replaced the vinegar essence with 9 percent vinegar (30 ml), and the corn starch with the same amount of flour. I fried the meat in sauce in a wok pan. Nika, thank you very much for the wonderful recipe! It turned out very tasty and beautiful!

natali-♥

01.09.2023

4.5

Wow! I haven't tried this for a long time! I always had to follow this recipe:

Evdokia

01.09.2023

5

Popular Chinese dinner dish Gubajou in Chinese sweet and sour sauce. Quick and easy with this recipe! Only at first glance it seems that preparing this dish is difficult. But after the first time it becomes clear that there are no difficulties in the cooking process. And if you cook with four hands, then even more so - it’s quick, and the dish turns out piping hot. My husband usually fries the meat, and I prepare the vegetable sauce. Great recipe, thanks a lot!