The Salt and Pepper Pork Chops My Dad's Made 100,000 Times

Method8 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Start with chopping up the vegetables. Cut red pepper into strips then rotate 90 degrees to dice. Dice the green pepper the same way. Roughly dice the green onion (1 stalk) into medium-sized pieces. Then peel, smash, and mince the garlic (2 cloves). Cut across the red chili pepper into thin slices the shape will look like coins. If you want to make it spicier, you can use more of it. Cut pork chops into palm-sized pieces and halve them horizontally to have thin slices. Make sure to cut against the grain to keep the meat intact during the cooking process. To tenderize them, use the back of the knife to pound into the pork chops on both sides.

   Uses 1 lb pork loin sirloin chops · 1/5 red bell pepper · 1/5 green bell pepper · 1 stalk green onion · 1/2 red chilli pepper · 2 cloves garlic

2. 2

   Step 2: Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl: 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tbsp cooking wine, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tbsp water. Stir, then mix in the 1 tsp sugar and separate 1/2 tsp marinade salt.

   Uses 2 tbsp cornstarch, for marinade · 1/2 tsp baking soda, for marinade · 1 tbsp cooking wine, for marinade · 1 tbsp oyster sauce · 1 tbsp light soy sauce · 1 tbsp water, for marinade · 1 tsp sugar · 1/2 tsp salt, for marinade

3. 3

   Step 3: Mix the tenderized thin pork pieces from step 1 with the marinade from step 2 by hand for about one minute. Refrigerate to marinate for 30–60 minutes.

   Marinate pork chops · 60 minUses Thin tenderized pork pieces · Prepared pork marinade

4. 4

   Step 4: Heat the 2 cups corn oil in a suitable deep pot over medium heat to 380°F/193°C, leaving room for the food without overfilling. Beat an egg, mix half of it into the marinated pork from step 3, and reserve the other half for another use. Spread the separate 3 tbsp coating cornstarch on a plate. Once the oil is at temperature, coat the pork pieces lightly in the starch. Discard any starch or marinade left after raw-pork contact.

   Uses 2 cups corn oil as frying medium; absorbed quantity unknown · 1/2 beaten egg, for coating · Marinated thin pork pieces · From 3 tbsp coating cornstarch, as needed; discard contaminated excess

5. 5

   Step 5: Gently add the coated pork pieces to the hot oil from step 4 in uncrowded batches. The first-fry guide is about 1 1/2 minutes until light golden; continue as needed until the thin pork pieces reach 63°C/145°F in the centre. Lift out and drain. Raise the oil to 450°F/232°C and fry each batch for about 30 seconds until crisp and golden. Let the pork rest for at least 3 minutes after it has reached 63°C/145°F. Reserve about 1 tsp of the frying oil for the final stir-fry.

   Uses Egg/starch-coated pork pieces and heated frying oil

6. 6

   Step 6: In a clean small bowl, mix the 1 tsp garlic salt with the separate 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp white pepper for the final seasoning.

   Uses 1 tsp garlic salt, for seasoning mix · 1/4 tsp salt, for seasoning mix · 1/4 tsp white pepper, for seasoning mix

7. 7

   Step 7: Heat a wok over medium heat with about 1 tsp reserved frying oil from step 5, taken from the listed 1/2 tbsp finishing supply; reserve the unused remainder. Stir-fry the prepared garlic and sliced red chilli from step 1 until aromatic. Add the prepared red and green bell peppers and stir-fry over high heat for about 30 seconds. Add the prepared green onion, then all the fully cooked double-fried pork from step 5. Toss for about 30 seconds, then sprinkle in the seasoning mix from step 6 gradually to taste. Reserve any unused clean mixture. Cook for another 15–20 seconds, turn off the heat and toss for another 20–30 seconds to distribute the seasoning.

   Uses About 1 tsp from the 1/2 tbsp finishing-oil supply, drawn from frying oil; reserve 1/2 tsp remainder · Prepared garlic, sliced chilli, diced bell peppers and green onion · Fully cooked double-fried and rested pork · Prepared garlic-salt/salt/white-pepper seasoning mix, added gradually to taste; reserve unused

8. 8

   Step 8: Taste the finished pork from step 7 and serve on a shared platter, with individual plates for each person.

   Uses Finished salt-and-pepper pork chops