Crispy and Delicious Gganpunggi (Sweet and Sour Spicy Pork)
Crispy and Delicious Gganpunggi (Sweet and Sour Spicy Pork)
Homemade Gganpunggi: A Crispy, Flavorful Chinese Dish with a Perfect Sweet, Sour, and Spicy Sauce
This Gganpunggi recipe can be made with pork, offering a rich and satisfying flavor. It can also be prepared with chicken, so feel free to choose your preferred meat.
Main Ingredients- Pork loin, tenderloin, or shoulder 600g (any cut works well!)
- 1 Onion (finely chopped)
- 1/2 Carrot (finely chopped)
- 1 Red chili pepper (seeds removed, finely chopped)
- 1 Green chili pepper (seeds removed, finely chopped)
- 1 Green onion (white parts mainly, finely chopped)
- 300g Cornstarch or potato starch (for coating)
Sauce Ingredients- 1.5 Tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp Oyster sauce
- 1 tsp Minced garlic
- 3 Tbsp Cooking oil (for coating)
- 1 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 3 Tbsp Vinegar
- 3 Tbsp Sugar
- 3 Tbsp Water
- 1.5 Tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp Oyster sauce
- 1 tsp Minced garlic
- 3 Tbsp Cooking oil (for coating)
- 1 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 3 Tbsp Vinegar
- 3 Tbsp Sugar
- 3 Tbsp Water
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the star of our Gganpunggi: the pork. You can use loin, tenderloin, or shoulder; any cut is fine. I personally chose shoulder for its cost-effectiveness. Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces.
Step 2
If your pork is fresh, you might not need to marinate it. However, if you’re concerned about any porky smell or want to enhance the flavor slightly, you can lightly season it with cooking wine, salt, and pepper. Keeping the seasoning minimal will help preserve the natural flavor after frying.
Step 3
Now, let’s make the crispy coating that makes Gganpunggi so special. You can use any starch you have, but for extra crispiness, I recommend a mix of 70% potato starch and 30% cornstarch. Gradually add a little water to the starch while mixing, and then incorporate a small amount of cooking oil. Aim for a consistency similar to mayonnaise, with a slight sheen. While you can soak the starch in water and use the settled starch after draining the water, this method is quicker and more convenient for achieving the right texture.
Step 4
Coat the prepared pork pieces evenly with the starch mixture. Now it’s time to fry! Heat your oil to medium-high heat. Fry the pork for about 1 minute on high heat to quickly sear the outside. Then, reduce the heat to medium and fry for another 3 minutes, ensuring the inside is cooked through.
Step 5
After the first fry, remove the pork from the oil and let it rest for a moment. While it rests, increase the oil temperature back to high. Then, re-fry the pork for about 2 minutes on high heat. This double-frying technique is key to achieving that perfectly crispy exterior and juicy interior.
Step 6
Next, let’s prepare the signature sweet, sour, and spicy sauce. Heat cooking oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the gochugaru and stir-fry for about 2 minutes to infuse the oil with chili flavor. Be careful not to burn the chili flakes, as this can make the sauce bitter.
Step 7
Once the chili oil is fragrant, add the chopped green onions and stir-fry over high heat for about 30 seconds to release their aroma. Then, add the finely chopped onion, carrot, red chili pepper, and green chili pepper. Stir-fry everything over high heat quickly until the vegetables are slightly softened but still retain some crispness. This quick stir-fry is important for keeping the vegetables fresh and crunchy.
Step 8
To the sautéed vegetables, add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar, sugar, and water. Mix well. If you have doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste) on hand, you can substitute it for the soy sauce or oyster sauce for an even deeper, more complex flavor.
Step 9
Once the sauce begins to simmer, add all the double-fried pork pieces to the pan. Stir-fry over medium-high heat, tossing the pork to ensure it’s evenly coated with the sauce. Don’t overcook at this stage, as it can make the crispy coating soggy.
Step 10
And there you have it! Your delicious homemade Gganpunggi is ready. Doesn’t it look absolutely appetizing with that glossy sauce?
Step 11
Serve immediately while warm on a plate. Enjoy your restaurant-quality Chinese Gganpunggi right at home!
