Crispy Yuja Tangsuyuk (Sweet and Sour Pork)
Sweet & Tangy Yuja Syrup Tangsuyuk and Spicy Sichuan Tangsuyuk (An Easy Recipe Even Beginners Can Make)
1. Sweet and sour Tangsuyuk with a delightful yuja syrup sauce.
2. Irresistibly spicy Sichuan Tangsuyuk! (An easy-to-follow recipe for home cooks, rivaling restaurant quality with a delicious sauce).
Tangsuyuk Ingredients
- Pork loin 600g (cut for Tangsuyuk)
- Potato starch 7 Tbsp
- Corn starch 3 Tbsp
- Carrot 1/2
- Onion 1/2
- Cucumber 1
- Bell pepper 1
Pork Marinade
- Generous black pepper
- Salt to taste
Sweet & Tangy Yuja Sauce
- Water 6 ladles (approx. 900ml)
- Vinegar 1 ladle (approx. 150ml, adjust to taste)
- Sugar 2 ladles (approx. 300ml, adjust to taste)
- Soy sauce 1 ladle (approx. 150ml)
- Yuja syrup (for tea) 3 Tbsp
- Slurry (2 Tbsp starch + 4 Tbsp water)
- Generous black pepper
- Salt to taste
Sweet & Tangy Yuja Sauce
- Water 6 ladles (approx. 900ml)
- Vinegar 1 ladle (approx. 150ml, adjust to taste)
- Sugar 2 ladles (approx. 300ml, adjust to taste)
- Soy sauce 1 ladle (approx. 150ml)
- Yuja syrup (for tea) 3 Tbsp
- Slurry (2 Tbsp starch + 4 Tbsp water)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Start with 600g of pork loin, pre-sliced for Tangsuyuk by your butcher. Season it generously with black pepper and a pinch of salt. Be mindful not to oversalt, as the sauce will add its own flavor.
Step 2
In a large bowl, combine 7 Tbsp potato starch and 3 Tbsp corn starch. Add enough water to cover the starches. The exact water amount isn’t critical here.
Step 3
Whisk the starches and water until well combined and lump-free. Let the mixture sit for about 20-30 minutes, allowing the starch to settle at the bottom.
Step 4
Once the starch has settled, carefully pour off the clear water from the top, leaving the thick starch paste behind.
Step 5
After draining the water, you’ll have a thick starch paste. Now it’s time to add cooking oil to create the batter.
Step 6
For frying, soybean oil (kong oil) is recommended. It often yields a better flavor for fried dishes compared to olive oil.
Step 7
Add at least 5 Tbsp of cooking oil to the starch paste. Mix it in by hand until the batter reaches a consistency similar to mayonnaise.
Step 8
As you mix in the oil, the batter will transform into a smooth, mayonnaise-like consistency. This oil in the batter helps create an extra crispy coating when frying. *Tip: If the batter seems too thick, add a little more water or oil to achieve the right consistency.
Step 9
Add the seasoned pork pieces to the batter. Gently mix them, ensuring each piece is evenly coated with the starchy batter.
Step 10
Coating done! *Important: Fry the pork immediately after coating. Leaving it to sit can make the batter too sticky, causing the pieces to clump together during frying.
Step 11
Pour about 1/2 to 1/3 of the way up with cooking oil into your frying pan. *Pan recommendation: Stainless steel or non-stick pans work well; non-stick is often preferred for ease of use.
Step 12
To test the oil temperature: Drop a small piece of batter into the hot oil. If it sinks briefly and then rises to the surface, the oil is ready. Carefully add the battered pork pieces.
Step 13
Resist the urge to stir the pork immediately after adding it to the oil. Let one side turn golden brown before flipping. Constant stirring at the beginning can cause the coating to break apart or the pieces to stick together. *For extra crispiness, fry the pork twice! Fry the first batch until lightly golden, remove them, fry any remaining pork, then return all the pork to the hot oil for a second fry until deeply golden and very crisp.
Step 14
On the left, you see pork fried once; on the right, pork fried twice. Notice the difference in color and crispness! You can choose your preferred level of crispiness.
Step 15
Now, let’s make the sauce! Dice 1 cucumber, 1/2 carrot, 1 bell pepper, and 1/2 onion into bite-sized pieces, slightly larger than for stir-frying.
Step 16
Lightly oil a pan and sauté the vegetables, starting with the denser ones like carrots and onions. Cook just until they soften slightly; they don’t need to be fully cooked.
Step 17
To the sautéed vegetables, add the sauce ingredients: 6 ladles of water, 1 ladle of soy sauce, 1 ladle of vinegar (adjust to your preference), 2 ladles of sugar (adjust to your preference), and 3 Tbsp of yuja syrup.
Step 18
While restaurants often use lemon, using readily available yuja syrup (commonly used for making yuja tea) is a fantastic shortcut! It imparts a wonderful aroma and delicious flavor without needing to buy extra ingredients.
Step 19
Let the sauce simmer for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. In a small bowl, prepare the slurry by mixing 2 Tbsp starch with 4 Tbsp water. Gradually whisk this slurry into the simmering sauce until it thickens to a glossy, restaurant-style consistency. Your Tangsuyuk sauce is ready!
Step 20
Now comes the fun part: deciding whether to pour the sauce over the crispy pork (bu-mook) or dip the pork into the sauce (jjik-mook)! Enjoy it your favorite way. The subtle yuja aroma combined with the sweet and sour notes is truly addictive.
Step 21
For a spicy Sichuan Tangsuyuk variation: In a separate pan, heat a little oil and stir-fry 1/2 Tbsp of doubanjiang (chili bean paste). Then, pour in the Tangsuyuk sauce you just made and simmer together. (You can also substitute doubanjiang with chili sauce or other spicy pastes.)
Step 22
Finally, add the doubly fried crispy pork to the spicy sauce and stir-fry quickly to coat. Your Sichuan Tangsuyuk is complete! See? Even beginners can easily make delicious Tangsuyuk at home. (If you found this recipe helpful, please give it a ‘Like’! ♥)
