The salt-and-pepper treatment is a Cantonese technique that can be applied to give almost any meat, seafood or tofu a crunchy exterior and tongue-tingling flavor.
The protein typically is deep-fried, but in this recipe from our cookbook “Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year,†we opt to pan-fry pork that we first dust in cornstarch seasoned generously with Sichuan pepper, black pepper and cayenne.
The starch granules swell when they come in contact with moisture released by the pork as it cooks; as the water evaporates, the starch settles into a rigid, locked network, creating a crunchy coating.
In a classic salt-and-pepper dish, chilies and garlic are quickly fried and tossed with the cooked protein for big, bold, in-your-face flavors. We, however, finish the pork with a fresh, punchy, uncooked mix of sliced scallions, chopped cilantro, minced chilies, rice vinegar and grated ginger. The easiest way to grind the tongue-tingling Sichuan peppercorns for this recipe is in an electric spice grinder.
Don’t use thick-cut or bone-in pork chops for this recipe. Look for boneless pork loin chops that are 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. They sometimes are called pork cutlets. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.
SALT-AND-PEPPER PORK CHOPS WITH SPICY SCALLIONS
Start to finish: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 Fresno or jalapeño chili, stemmed, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns, finely ground
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
8 boneless (about 1½ pounds) thin-cut pork loin chops/cutlets (1/4 to 1/2 inch thick), patted dry
1/3 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
Directions:
In a medium bowl, toss together the scallions, cilantro, chili, vinegar, ginger and 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside. In a wide, shallow dish, mix together the cornstarch, Sichuan pepper, cayenne pepper, five-spice, 2 teaspoons black pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Dredge the cutlets in the cornstarch mixture, turning to coat both sides and pressing so the mixture adheres, then transfer to a large plate, stacking or shingling as needed.
In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until barely smoking. Add half of the cutlets and cook until browned on the bottoms, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip the cutlets and cook until golden brown on the second sides, about 1 minute. Transfer to a platter and tent with foil. Cook the remaining cutlets in the same way, using the oil remaining in the skillet. Spoon the scallion-cilantro mixture onto the chops and serve.
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