Crispy pork finished in a glossy sweet-and-sour sauce of pineapple, vinegar, and soy sauce. The pepper and onion stay firm, the fruit stays juicy, and the pork keeps some crunch beneath the glaze. Home-style Peruvian chifa that practically asks for white rice on the side.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Cut the pork loin into roughly 3 cm cubes. Cut the onion, red bell pepper, and pineapple into similarly sized pieces, and finely chop the garlic and ginger. Toss the pork with the garlic, ginger, 40% of the soy sauce, 60% of the salt, and the white pepper until all the cubes are evenly seasoned.
Mix the flour with 80% of the cornstarch. Coat the seasoned pork in the dry mixture, pressing lightly so a thin, even layer sticks, then shake off the excess well. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and fry the pork in 2 or 3 batches for 4 to 5 minutes, until deeply golden, crisp, and fully cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Remove almost all the oil from a skillet and stir-fry the onion and bell pepper over high heat for 2 minutes, until glossy but still firm. Add the pineapple and stir-fry for 1 more minute. Add the ketchup, sugar, vinegar, remaining soy sauce, remaining salt, and three quarters of the water; boil for 2 minutes, until the sauce tastes clearly sweet and tart with no harsh vinegar aroma.
Dissolve the remaining 20% of the cornstarch in the remaining water and pour it in gradually while stirring. Cook for 30 to 60 seconds, until the sauce is glossy and lightly coats the spoon. Add the fried pork and toss for 20 to 30 seconds, only until glazed; serve immediately to preserve the contrast between crust, sauce, and vegetables. And that's it! If the pork still crunches beneath the sweet-and-sour glaze, you hit the chifa sweet spot 😌
