Tangsuyuk is Korean-style sweet and sour pork! It is made of crispy pork and colorful vegetables coated in a thick, sweet, and tangy sauce!
If you are fond of Chinese takeout, you probably know the bright red, Chinese-style sweet and sour pork. This Korean-style recipe is adapted from that classic dish.
Typically, this would be served with Jajangmyeon or Jjampong. And sometimes, you can alternatively choose to have Kkanpunggi if you want a spicy kick to your meal.
What meat to use for Tangsuyuk?
The most typical meat choice for tangsuyuk is pork tenderloin. However, this recipe is very versatile so you can also use chicken thighs, beef tenderloin, shiitake mushrooms, or even firm tofu. This would fit any diet such as halal or vegan.
What you have to remember is to slice your meat into 3/4 inch strips to retain the classic appearance of the Korean-style sweet and sour recipe.
How to make Tangsuyuk crispy?
Disclaimer: I get a small commission at no additional cost to you when you make a qualified purchase under the affiliate links.
For this recipe, we will be using potato starch and double-frying them to make the pork extra crispy. Potato starch is a type of starch that I like to use because it yields an extra crispy skin for any fried dishes.
After combining the batter ingredients with the pork, mix to check for the correct consistency and let it marinate for at least an hour before cooking. Mix them again before cooking.
Few more tips to ensure a crispy batter:
- Make a fryer using a deep pot with 2 quarts of oil, this ensures that your meat is submerged well into the oil.
- Ensure your oil is hot enough before placing the pork in it.
- You will see the pork pieces float and look a little pale, it should be done right around this time. Remove the pork from the oil and let it sit on a cooling rack for a couple of minutes.
- After letting the pork cool for a couple of minutes, lightly smash it a few times to create air pockets in the batter. This will allow the steam to leave and the hot oil to get in to make the pork even crispier.
- Double-fry the pork for maximum crispiness. Fry them for another two minutes at a higher temperature. The pork should then look golden brown afterward.
Korean-style Sweet and Sour Sauce
The Korean-style sauce comprises different vegetables such as onion, cucumber, carrots, and pineapple. If available or preferred, you can also add peppers, wood-ear mushrooms, and apple slices. These will add freshness and additional crunch to the dish.
For the sauce, the Chinese style would typically use ketchup for the signature bright red color. However, the Korean style is straightforward apple vinegar for the tang, sugar for the sweetness, and soy sauce for balance in taste. It would yield a pale brown sauce because of the soy sauce. You may add apple jam for an additional layer of flavor.
It’s super easy to make this! All you need to do is to let the water come to a boil and add the ingredients one by one. To thicken the sauce, use a mixture of 1 tablespoon of potato starch dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water. Mix it with the sauce gradually until the desired thickness is reached, then place the vegetables to cook.
TIP: Don’t let the vegetables overcook, just boil them until it is pliable but still have a crunch.
How to serve and eat Tangsuyuk?
Korean Sweet and Sour Pork is best served with Black Bean Noodles or Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup which are very famous delivery items in Korea!
Tangsuyuk is better enjoyed freshly cooked when it is still crispy. Hopefully, you don’t have any leftovers as it may turn soggy when it cools down. Nevertheless, to reheat, you can try to refry or air fry them but the meat may turn tougher.
In eating this, there is a debate among Koreans on how they would like to have tangsuyuk. One side is “dipper” or people who like to only dip the pork pieces into the sauce before eating it. Meanwhile, some people are the “pourer” where they just pour the sauce into the pork and coat everything.
While either way would retain the crispiness, some people still prefer the extra crunchy texture when they dip as opposed to when it is poured. What do you think?
Other Korean dishes you may like:
- LA Galbi
- Korean Boiled Pork (Bossam)
- Korean Soy Garlic Chicken BBQ
- Korean Spicy Chicken BBQ
- Spicy Stir Fried Pork (Jeyuk Bokkeum)
Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo!
Korean Sweet & Sour Pork (Tangsuyuk)
Equipment
- Deep Pot
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
Pork Marinade and Batter
- 300 grams Pork Tenderloin Cut into strips
- Salt and Pepper To taste
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 pc Egg
- 1 cup Potato Starch
- Water Gradually add according to batter consistency
- 1-2 liters Vegetable or Canola Oil For frying
Sweet & Sour Sauce
- 1/2 of Whole Onion Chopped into big pieces
- 1/2 of Whole Carrot Chopped into flower shapes
- 1 small Cucumber Sliced
- 1 cup Pineapple
- 1 1/2 cup Water
- 1 1/2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 6-8 tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 tbsp Apple Jam Optional
- 5 tbsp Apple Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Potato Starch
- 1 tbsp Water
Instructions
- Slice the pork into strips.
- In a bowl, season pork with salt, pepper, soy sauce, and garlic. For the batter, add egg, potato starch, and water.
- Mix until the right consistency is reached and let it sit for 1 hour. Mix again before frying.
- To fry, in a deep pot, heat up your oil to 350F. In medium-high heat, gently place the pork one by one to cook.
- Once the pork has floated on top and the batter looks pale but done, remove them from the oil and let cool for a couple of minutes on a wire rack.
- To double fry, on high heat, fry the pork again for another couple of minutes. They should now turn golden brown.
Sweet & Sour Sauce
- Prepare your vegetables.
- In a pot, let the water come to a boil then add soy sauce, sugar, apple jam, and apple vinegar. Mix and let it come to a boil. Adjust the sauce by adding soy sauce or sugar according to your preference.
- Combine potato starch and water and gradually add in the sauce until desired thickness is reached.
- Add the vegetables to the sauce and let it cook.
- Serve the tangsuyuk dipped or poured according to preference.
Was fire
Yeobosayo!!!