Crispy Pork Chops in Curry Sauce

Crispy Pork Chops in Curry Sauce

serves 4

(Taiwan)

The first time we tasted this meal was on our trip to Taiwan to meet our daughter-in-laws family.  Unlike American pork chops, these delicious breaded and fried scallopini are fragrant with the subtle taste of Chinese five spice supported by the taste of the Char Siu Sauce they are marinated in, the longer they are marinated the more fragrant they become.   When we visit our son and Taiwanese daughter-in-law in Southern California, this is one of the Asian specialties we look forward to.

                                                       Preparation time:  up to 2 hours

                                                       Chop cooking time:  up to 20 minutes

                                                       Golden Curry Sauce cook time:  15 minutes

                                                        Total cook time:  35 minutes

Ingredients

Taiwanese crispy pork chops:

4  –  ¾ inch, boneless pork chops

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup Taiwanese michiu wine (substitute Japanese Mirin)*

1/8 teaspoon  white pepper

1/8 teaspoon  five-spice powder*

1 teaspoon Char Siu Sauce* (Chinese barbecue sauce [DO NOT substitute American Barbecue sauce])

3-4 cloves garlic, micro-planed

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup sweet potato flour* (acceptable substitutes are tapioca  or corn starch)

Peanut or vegetable oil sufficient for frying

golden curry sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

¼ to ½ cup chopped onion

¼ to ½ cup sliced carrots

1 2/3 cups water

1 3.5 ounce golden curry sauce mix (I recommend S&B brand medium hot)*

Preparation

Taiwanese crispy pork chops:

1.  One at a time, place each pork  chop in a large, re-sealable plastic bag and pound  the chop into a thin (1/2 to ¼ - inch thick) scallopini and set aside in the refrigerator. 

2.  When all the pork chops have been pounded, create a marinade by combining the soy sauce, the michiu wine, the white pepper, the five-spice, the barbeque sauce, and the micro-planed in a small mixing bowl.  Once the marinade has been created, pour it into a large, re-sealable plastic bag.  Place the pork chops into the bag and seal, squeezing out as much air as possible.  Allow the pork chops to marinate for several hours, turning the bag every so often, to allow all the flavours to develop.

3.  When the pork chops have marinated for several hours, build a breading station by placing the sweet potato starch, the beaten egg, and the Panko bread crumbs in three separate plates.  Bread each of the pounded pork chops  by first dredging each in the sweet potato flour, then in the egg mixture, and finally in the Panko bread crumbs

4.  Once each of the pork chops have been breaded on both sides  heat enough vegetable oil to fill  a large, heavy bottomed frying pan to a depth of about 1/2 inch over medium high heat and fry the pork chops, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through.

golden curry sauce:

1.  Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan.  Add the chopped onions and sliced carrots and saute until the onions are slightly browned and the carrots are softened,  about 5 minutes.

2.  Add water and bring to a boil, as soon as the water comes to a rolling boil remove the pan from the heat.  Break up the golden curry mix into pieces and add to the water, carrots, and water stirring until all the pieces of curry mix are dissolved.   If the sauce seems too "tight" add a little water, a tablespoon at a time, until the sauce "loosens up" to your satisfaction.

 service:

Serve by plating cooked, plain white rice on each of 4 service plates, place one Taiwanese crispy pork chop on top of that on each plate, and top each plate with ¼ of the golden curry sauce.  Serve hot.

* easily found on the Asian or Oriental products aisle in most supermarkets