Sweet and Sour Pork Chops With Pineapple

Sweet and sour pork chops cooked with peppers and pineapple in a simple from-scratch sauce and baked in the oven for perfectly juicy chops!

Preparation for this recipe takes 10 minutes, and cooking time is right around 25 minutes, making this dish a superb and easy midweek meal.

Sweet and Sour Chops

To say that I am fond of Chinese takeaway-inspired sweet and sour recipes is a bit of an understatement!

Growing up sweet and sour chicken balls or sweet and sour pork balls, were my takeaway of choice when we were treated to a takeaway.

These sweet and sour pork chops play with similar ideas but include a darker, richer and more "grown-up" sweet and sour sauce.

It's supremely simple, and it is similar to the one that I use in both my sweet and sour tofu and sweet and sour pork tenderloin recipes.

I pair the thick-cut pork chops, similar to the ones that I use for my Normandy pork chops recipe, adobo pork chops, pork chops with sauerkraut and mango chutney pork chops, with sweet peppers and onions. Then I add a pineapple ring for the ultimate retro experience!

It is baked in the oven, and the whole thing is done and dusted in right around 40 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What sort of pork chops should I use?

I usually use thick-cut, centre loin chops for this recipe because they have a good balance between flavour and tenderness.

You want them to be around 25mm or 1" thick. I usually French trim mine by scraping away the fatty meat from the rib bone at the end; this is optional.

How do I stop pork chops from drying out?

This is usually an issue when you use pork chops that are too thin and then overcook them

Buy thick-cut pork chops from a butcher and then get yourself a meat thermometer. You are looking for an internal temperature of around 63°C or 145°F.

Can I use fresh pineapple?

You can, although I usually use tinned. I do this because a whole pineapple is a challenge to use up when cooking for two.

Be sure to buy tinned pineapple in juice rather than syrup, and you can use it for the pineapple juice in the sauce.

If you have any pineapple leftover, how about trying my gloriously retro pineapple chicken curry?

What is Chinkiang vinegar?

Chinkiang vinegar is black rice vinegar. I use it in a lot of my Chinese-inspired recipes, so don't worry about only using it once!

You can substitute it for any rice vinegar, although you will lose some of the complex flavours that it brings to a recipe.

Serving Suggestions

If you are ok with a lighter meal, then these sweet and sour pork chops are the perfect dish for you.

However, they can be bulked out really simply; if you have planned in advance, then some egg fried rice is a great option. But some steamed or boiled plain rice works equally well.

I am particularly fond of serving this Anglo-Chinese version of a takeaway with some form of potato. The sweet and sour sauce is awesome with salty potatoes.

It is particularly good with chip shop style chips, sans the salt and vinegar, of course, but it is also great with my fried new potatoes.

Noodles make another great side for this recipe; something like this plain chow mein would be ideal.

Equipment Used

I only recommend specific brands of equipment if I think that it will make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• 28cm or 11" frying Pan.
• Sharp kitchen knife.
• Chopping board.
• Oven.
• Mixing bowl.
• Stirring and serving spoons.
• Quick-read meat thermometer (optional).
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.