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Sichuan Salt And Pepper Pork Chops Recipe
35 minutes
10 minutes
4
Steps
- 1. In a spice grinder or using a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind the chiles* and peppercorns. Add the salt and Chinese five-spice and grind to a powder.
- 2. Heat a 1-inch depth of oil in a wok or deep, heavy skillet to 350°F.
- 3. In a shallow bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and rice flour to combine. Pat the pork chops dry and cut in 1-inch intervals around the chop, through the outer layer of fat just down to the meat. (This helps keep the meat from curling up.)
- 4. One by one, dredge the chops in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess, and fry for 1 minute. Transfer the chops to a paper towel-lined plate and lightly sprinkle with the spice mix.
- 5. Carefully pour the oil from the wok or skillet, reserving and returning 1/4 cup back to the wok. Heat over high heat until just smoking. Have your vegetables ready to go; the cooking time here is very quick. Add the onion and cilantro stems to the wok and aggressively stir by holding a spoon in the center and shaking or rotating the wok or skillet vigorously quickly to mix everything together, about 20 seconds.
- 6. Continue cooking for 20 seconds after each addition, adding the jalapeño, garlic and ginger, then the scallions and reserved cilantro leaves, then the pork chops and 2 teaspoons of the spice blend. Serve immediately.
- *Note: Facing Heaven chiles are common in Sichuan home cooking. When they grow on the plant, the peppers point towards the sky and look similar to red jalapeño peppers but are a bit longer. If you can’t find them, the same amount of chiles de árbol makes a good substitute.
- Whip up some more pork on Food Republic:
- BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos Recipe
- Weekend Charcuterie Project: Ham Hock And Black Sausage Terrine Recipe
- Spicy Candied Bacon Recipe
Originally published at Foodrepublic.com. Reproduced for personal collection.
