Old-School Hainanese Pork Chop Recipe

Method19 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Cut the 400 g boneless pork loin into four pieces about 1 inch thick. Butterfly each piece along its thickness, leaving one edge intact so it opens out as a larger chop.

   Uses 400 g boneless pork loin

2. 2

   Step 2: Open the four butterflied chops from step 1 and gently tenderise both sides. Retain their texture and keep chilled while mixing the marinade.

   Uses Four butterflied pork-loin chops

3. 3

   Step 3: Mix the marinade stocks in a shallow dish: 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 2–3 tbsp light soy sauce, ¼ tsp salt and 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine. Coat the chops from step 2, cover and refrigerate for 2–3 hours. Keep the separate gravy seasonings for later.

   Finish chilled pork-chop marinade · 120 minUses Tenderised pork-loin chops · 1 tbsp oyster sauce, for marinade · 2–3 tbsp light soy sauce, for marinade · ¼ tsp salt, for marinade · 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, for marinade

4. 4

   Step 4: While the meat marinates, peel and wash the two small potatoes and slice them thinly. Prepare the half white onion and 3 tbsp carrot in small dice, and set out the 3 tbsp green peas. Keep the potatoes separate from the gravy vegetables.

   Uses 2 small potatoes · ½ white onion · 3 tbsp diced carrot · 3 tbsp green peas · Clean water, for washing the sauce vegetables

5. 5

   Step 5: Finely crush the ten cream crackers in a clean double-layer bag, then mix them with 1 tbsp rice flour. Put this crumb mixture on a coating plate.

   Uses 10 cream crackers, for coating · 1 tbsp rice flour, for crumb coating

6. 6

   Step 6: Immediately before coating, beat the egg (1) in a bowl and put the separate 5–6 tbsp coating cornstarch on another plate. In a clean bowl for the gravy, mix the separate 1½ tbsp cornstarch with its 1 tbsp water until smooth; keep this slurry separate from the coating ingredients and re-stir before using.

   Uses 1 egg, for coating · 5–6 tbsp cornstarch, for coating · 1½ tbsp cornstarch, for gravy slurry · 1 tbsp water, for gravy slurry

7. 7

   Step 7: Take the marinated chops from step 3 out of the refrigerator and coat both sides with some of the dry coating cornstarch from step 6. Shake off excess and discard any used raw-meat marinade.

   Uses Chops and clinging marinade only, excluding unused marinade left in the dish · Coating cornstarch only, excluding beaten egg and separate gravy slurry; used amount is unspecified

8. 8

   Step 8: Dip the cornstarch-coated chops from step 7 into the beaten egg from step 6, letting excess drip back into the coating bowl.

   Uses Coated chops only, excluding excess dry cornstarch · Egg only, excluding separate dry cornstarch and gravy slurry; used amount is unspecified

9. 9

   Step 9: Press both faces of the egg-coated chops from step 8 into the cracker-and-rice-flour crumbs from step 5 so the coating adheres. Keep the coated chops chilled until frying and discard leftover raw-meat-contaminated coating supplies.

   Uses Chops with clinging egg only, excluding unused egg and coating residue · Crumbs used on the chops; unused coating amount is unspecified

10. 10

    Step 10: Lightly oil a pan and fry the prepared potato slices from step 4 until cooked through and lightly browned. Lift them onto a clean plate and keep separate for the final gravy addition.

    Uses A little oil, for pan-frying potato slices · Potatoes only, excluding onion, carrot, peas and washing water

11. 11

    Step 11: Once all chops are coated, put the separate one bowl of pork-frying oil (1) in a wok with ample space above it and heat over medium heat. Keep the coated chops from step 9 ready before heating.

    Uses 1 bowl oil, for pork frying

12. 12

    Step 12: Carefully lower the coated chops from step 9 into the hot oil from step 11 in uncrowded batches. Fry both faces until golden, turning with clean long tongs and adjusting the heat as needed. Check each pork center reaches 63°C before lifting it out; continue frying as needed rather than judging by crust color alone.

    Uses Coated chops only, excluding discarded raw coating supplies · Heated pork-frying oil

13. 13

    Step 13: Lift the fully cooked chops from step 12 onto a clean rack or kitchen-paper-lined plate, leaving the frying oil behind. Rest each cooked batch off the heat for at least 3 minutes before slicing.

    Slice rested pork chops · 3 minUses Lifted chops only, excluding the frying-oil reservoir

14. 14

    Step 14: After the rest in step 13, cut the drained chops into bite-sized pieces and keep ready to serve with the gravy.

    Uses Rested drained cooked pork chops

15. 15

    Step 15: Use a clean pan or safely empty and clean the earlier wok. Heat the separate 1 tsp gravy oil, then add the diced carrot, onion and peas from step 4. Stir-fry for about 3 minutes.

    Add gravy water · 3 minUses 1 tsp oil, for gravy vegetables · Gravy vegetables only, excluding separately fried potatoes and washing water

16. 16

    Step 16: Add the measured 200 ml gravy water to the vegetables and oil from step 15. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

    Season and thicken gravy · 5 minUses Stir-fried gravy vegetables and oil · 200 ml water, for gravy

17. 17

    Step 17: Season the simmered vegetables from step 16 with the separate 1 tbsp gravy oyster sauce, 1 pinch salt and 1–2 tsp gravy light soy sauce. Add the optional 1–2 tsp Worcestershire sauce only if using it. Re-stir the separate cornstarch slurry from step 6 and add it gradually while stirring, using only enough to thicken the simmering gravy smoothly; cook until the added starch is no longer raw.

    Uses Tender simmered vegetable gravy · 1 tbsp oyster sauce, for gravy · 1 pinch salt, for gravy · 1–2 tsp light soy sauce, for gravy · 1–2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, optional · Slurry made from 1½ tbsp cornstarch and 1 tbsp water; actual thickening draw is unspecified

18. 18

    Step 18: Just before serving, add the fried potato slices from step 10 to the finished gravy from step 17 and heat them through. Add them late so they keep their texture.

    Uses Complete finished seasoned thickened gravy · Lifted potatoes only, excluding excess potato-frying oil

19. 19

    Step 19: Serve the sliced pork chops from step 14 with the hot vegetable-and-potato gravy from step 18, using four portions as the author guide. Keep the gravy in a separate bowl for a crisp coating, or pour it over the chops just before eating.

    Uses Sliced rested pork chops · Hot finished vegetable-and-potato gravy