Salt and Pepper Pork Chops (椒盐猪排)

Method7 steps · about 30 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Choose thick boneless pork chops (1 lb), at least 1 inch thick, and cut the 1 lb into irregular ½–1-inch pieces. Mix all the pork with the separate 2 tbsp marinade vegetable oil, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tbsp marinade cornstarch and ½ tsp marinade salt until evenly coated. Refrigerate to marinate 15 minutes.

   Refrigerate pork marinade · 15 minUses 1 lb boneless pork chops, cut into irregular ½–1-inch pieces · 2 tbsp vegetable oil for marinade · 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine for marinade · 1 tbsp cornstarch for marinade · ½ tsp salt for marinade

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Mix the separate ¼ tsp seasoning salt and ½ tsp white pepper in a small bowl. Reserve this whole pepper-salt mixture for step 7.

   Uses ¼ tsp salt for pepper-salt seasoning · ½ tsp white pepper for pepper-salt seasoning

3. 3

   Step 3: Add about ½ cup frying vegetable oil to a medium, deep-sided pan, adjusting with optional additional frying oil only if needed to reach a depth that covers about half the pork pieces. Heat over medium heat until hot. Prepare a plate lined with paper towels.

   Uses About ½ cup vegetable oil for frying, enough to cover about half the pork pieces · Additional vegetable oil only if needed for the stated frying depth

4. 4

   Step 4: Add all the sliced garlic (3) and jalapeño (1) to the hot frying oil from step 3. Fry about 1–2 minutes, until the garlic just turns pale golden and the jalapeño edges crisp. Remove both with a slotted spoon, draining excess oil, and place on the paper towels. Once cooled briefly, transfer all the fried garlic and jalapeño to a large tossing bowl. Leave the frying oil in the pan for step 5.

   Fry garlic and jalapeño until pale golden · 2 minUses 3 garlic cloves, sliced · 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced · The prepared pan of hot frying oil from step 3; uptake is unknown

5. 5

   Step 5: Toss all the marinated pork from step 1 with the separate ¼ cup coating cornstarch until evenly coated. Fry a few coated pieces at a time in the pan of oil retained from step 4, without crowding. Cook about 2–3 minutes per side, per batch, until crisp and lightly browned and the pork reaches 63°C (145°F). Repeat for all the pork, keeping the hot frying oil in the pan rather than pouring it onto the food. Remove each cooked batch as directed in step 6.

   Fry pork — per side, per batch · 3 minUses All the marinated pork from step 1 for coating and repeated frying batches · ¼ cup cornstarch for the separate outer coating · Actual frying oil remaining after the garlic and jalapeño are removed

6. 6

   Step 6: As each batch from step 5 finishes, lift the cooked pork out of the pan and drain the excess oil. Place it on the paper-towel-lined plate for at least 10–20 seconds to absorb surface oil. Rest each batch at least 3 minutes after cooking to 63°C (145°F), before tasting or serving. Once all batches are cooked and rested, transfer all the drained pork into the bowl containing all the fried garlic and jalapeño from step 4.

   Rest each cooked pork batch · 3 minUses All the fried pork, drained and rested batch by batch · All the fried garlic and jalapeño reserved in the tossing bowl from step 4

7. 7

   Step 7: Sprinkle half the prepared pepper-salt mixture from step 2 over all the rested pork, fried garlic and jalapeño from step 6. Toss to distribute evenly. Taste the cooked pork; add some of the reserved remaining half only if needed and keep any unused seasoning separate. Serve promptly as 4 servings, as an appetizer or main dish. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use within 3–4 days; reheat to 74°C (165°F).

   Uses All the rested pork, fried garlic and jalapeño from step 6 · Half the complete pepper-salt mixture from step 2 · Some of the reserved remaining half, only if needed