Salt and Pepper Pork Chops (椒盐猪排). This recipe name is a bit of a misnomer as the pork is cut into pieces, not served as a chop. However, it is a real favourite of mine as it is incredibly tasty, and the pork is tender and not dry. What’s more, it is quick to cook so perfect for a midweek supper. Finally, you don’t need lots of expensive ingredients, most of them will already be in your store cupboard or pantry.
There are a couple of secrets to this dish that help transform it into a classic. The first is a technique called velveting which involves dipping the marinaded pork into whisked egg whites and cornflour. This makes a delicious crisp coating when the pork is fried. You can use the same method for quickly cooking chicken and seafood. The secret ingredient is a garnish of deep-fried crispy garlic which adds another layer of flavour. I think this recipe would grace any restaurant’s menu with simple steamed rice and hoisin sauce.
Hoisin Sauce
You can buy perfectly good hoisin sauce, but I like to make my own. Hoisin is made from pureed black bean beans with fennel seeds, vinegar, garlic and Chinese Five Spice. I love the combination of flavours and the salty, sweet tang and use it as a dip for Spring Rolls or served with crispy duck pancakes. I have seen lots of recipes that use peanut butter to get a silky-smooth sauce but I use black treacle for a nut-free recipe which also enhances the aniseed flavours of the Five Spice. The sauce is better made twenty-four hours before use to allow the flavours to develop and will last for two weeks stored in the fridge in an air-tight container.
Hoisin sauce
Ingredients
- 150 gr Dark Brown Sugar
- 50 gr dried Black Beans
- 100 ml light Soy Sauce
- 75 ml Chinese Rice Wine Vinegar
- 50 ml Black Treacle
- 25 ml toasted Sesame Oil
- 3 large cloves Garlic peeled and crushed
- 1 level tablespoon Cornflour
- 1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
- ¼ teaspoon Chilli Flakes
Equipment
- 1 Hand Blender
Instructions
- Soak the black beans overnight in 150 ml water.
- Place the remaining ingredients with the beans and water in a small, heavy-bottomed pan. Bring to a low simmer and cook out the cornflour for ten minutes, stirring regularly.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool before pureeing the sauce with a hand blender until smooth.
Notes
Salt and Pepper Pork Chops (椒盐猪排)
You can use very thinly cut pork chops and tenderise the meat on the bone, but I prefer to use thick-cut slices of pork loin. Cut the pork into thick strips and lightly tenderise them. First lay the strips onto some cling-film then cover with more cling-film. Tap the strips firmly with a rolling pin. You will only need to tap the pork once or twice. The tenderised meat will absorb lots of the marinade because of the larger surface area. The meat does not have to be neat and even as any thin edges will really crisp up when fried.
Salt and Pepper Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 500 gr boneless Pork Loin cut into strips
- 350 ml Vegetable Oil
- 60 ml Chinese Shaoxing Wine or Dry Sherry
- 50 gr Corn Flour
- 350 ml Vegetable Oil
- 1 Egg White
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Fine Salt
- A good pinch of White Pepper
Equipment
- 1 Deep-sided, heavy-bottomed frying pan
Instructions
- Whisk the egg white with fifty millilitres of the oil, the Shaoxing wine or sherry, 1 tablespoon of cornflour, and the garlic salt. Mix with the pork until it is evenly coated. Cover and marinate for a couple of hours in the fridge.
- Mix the salt and peppers in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat the remaining oil in a deep-sided, heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium heat until hot. Add the sliced garlic and fry, stirring constantly until it turns pale golden brown.
- Lift out the garlic with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Toss the pork in the remaining corn flour, shake off the excess and fry in batches for two to three minutes until light brown and crispy.
- Drain off excess oil as you remove the pork and place it on a tray then keep warm in an oven on a low heat.
- When all of the pork is cooked sprinkle with half of the salt and pepper mix. Toss and taste a piece. Adjust seasoning if required adding more salt and pepper mix.
- Pile the cooked Salt and Pepper Pork Chops onto freshly cooked rice, add warm Hoisin sauce and garnish with the fried garlic and spring onions.
Notes
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