Salt & Pepper Porkchops

Salt n Pepa's here, and we're in effect. Want you to push it, babe, coolin' by day and by night workin' up a sweat.

How's that for a cheesy introduction? I thought it was super cool, didn't you? JOKES. I grew up in the 90s so I grew up with Salt n Pepa. And apparently, that means that I think it's cool to start a blog post like this. Anyway, I'm here to share a salt and pepper pork chop recipe today.

Salt and pepper pork chops aren't fancy. They aren't complicated. They're really simple and quick and that's probably what makes them so delicious. As much as I love Chinese takeout, I'm not a fan of ordering it because it's usually incredibly salty and too oily and just not the healthiest option out there. So, I like to whip up my own at home and this is a new staple in my faux-takeout arsenal.

Ingredients [serves 4]:
4 thinly sliced pork chops
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup cornstarch
2 tablespoon flour
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 hot peppers, sliced
oil for frying
scallions for garnish

Start by marinating the pork chops in the sesame oil, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Place all of that stuff in a bowl, mash it around, and leave it to sit for 15 minutes.

Mix the cornstarch and flour together and dredge the chops.

Get a pan nice and hot with enough oil to coat the bottom.

Fry the chops until they're nice and golden brown and crispy.

Let the chops rest on a plate. I actually like to cut the chops into pieces, just to make them more manageable to eat. That way, everyone can pick up a small-ish piece with their chopsticks and bite it with their teeth. No need to grab a knife and fork and make it harder to eat.

Slice up some peppers and garlic and add them to the hot pan. Yes, the same hot pan you just fried up the chops in. Why dirty up extra dishes, if unnecessary?

Fry until crisp and until the garlic is just lightly browned.

Scoop up all of the peppers and garlic and pile them on top of the chops. Thinly slice some scallions and sprinkle those on top too. When food is fried, I always think it's nice to hit it with a bit of something fresh, whether it's scallions, fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon, because it helps to cut that heavy grease and add some brightness.

I served the chops with some eggplant with garlic sauce and some jasmine rice. I recommend you do the same. Baby bok choy would also be amazing, as would beef with garlic sauce. And how about orange chicken? Ooh, and a scallion pancake appetizer! Basically, you can search through my Chinese cuisine archives for more inspiration.

The chops are crispy and flavorful and I love the crunchy pieces of garlic and peppers. It's a great topping because it adds tons of flavor and spice but since it isn't necessarily a sauce, it won't make the chops soggy.

Here's the recipe page: