Pan-fried pork chops are a basic dish that can be modified and edited according to the culture. They can be served with sausage gravy for an American version, simmered in eggs and a soy sauce mix for a Japanese version, and topped with tomato sauce and melted Parmesan for an Italian version. The same dish even has numerous names according to different countries, including but not limited to Pork Milanese, Tonkatsu, and Pork Schnitzel. Today I’m preparing Taiwanese pork chops, pan fried pork chops that have been marinated in a soy sauce base mixture. Serve with tea eggs and a fresh cucumber salad for a well-rounded meal!
Serves 4
1 hr, 20 Total Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 4 pork chops, bone-in
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp Chinese five spice
- 2 star anise
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- 2 garlic, minced
- 1 cup sweet potato starch
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Make 4 small slits around the edges of the pork chops, evenly spaced, to prevent the pork from curling when fried. Lightly pound pork chops with a mallet until 1/4 inch thick. Combine ingredients for marinade from soy sauce - minced garlic and combine with the pork chop, turning to coat. Marinate for one hour.
- Heat saute pan over medium heat. Add enough oil to fill the skillet to a depth of 1/2 inch. Remove pork chops from marinade and dredge in the sweet potato starch, shaking off excess. Carefully lay pork chops in the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 6-7 minutes. Flip pork chop and continue to cook on the other side until golden brown. Remove from oil and transfer to a paper-towel-lined tray to drain excess oil. Repeat with remaining pork chops and serve with rice.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
Taiwanese pork chops differ from other culture’s pork chops for two reasons, the marinade and the sweet potato flour.
Start by prepping the pork. Cut slits around the edges of the pork to prevent the pork from curling up while cooking. Pound the pork with a mallet to tenderize the meat and allow even cooking. After the pork is ready, marinade for at least one hour in the soy sauce base mix. Turn the pork over occasionally to ensure that the marinade is coating all of the meat.
Once the pork is marinated, it is ready to be fried. Unlike other pan-fried pork recipes that use egg, flour, and panko, this version only requires sweet potato starch. When shopping for this item, make sure to purchase potato starch or potato starch flour instead of potato flour. Potato starch is a very fine, bland flour while potato flour is a heavy flour with a stronger potato taste. 
Coating the pork chops in potato starch allows the pork to crisp faster than if wheat flour was used. The result? Beautifully browned chops in no time. Traditionally Taiwanese pork chops are served on a bed of rice with several side dishes ranging from pickled cabbage, minced meat sauce and boiled eggs, pickled daikon, and seared tofu. I decided to serve my dish with Chinese tea eggs and a fresh Schezwan cucumber salad. An easy to prepare and balanced meal that is suitable for kids and adults alike!
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