This takeout classic combines tender pork, a light double-fried crisp, and a zesty sweet and sour sauce. Named due to a translation quirk in its history, Peking Pork Chops blend Western ingredients like ketchup with traditional Chinese cooking techniques to create a beloved fusion dish.
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1
Slice the pork into 1/2-inch-thick pieces, cutting perpendicular to the grain of the meat for maximum tenderness.
2
Pound each slice of pork with the back of the cleaver, working perpendicular to the grain across the meat to tenderize it further.
3
Combine cornstarch, oyster sauce, cooking wine, water, white pepper, and salt to make a marinade. Add the pork and massage it thoroughly with your hands until it absorbs the marinade completely.
4
Mix together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Add water gradually while stirring, adjusting to achieve a smooth batter with no lumps.
5
Stir oil into the batter to make the fried crust lighter and crispier.
6
Mix Chinese red vinegar, rice vinegar, ketchup, hoisin sauce, sugar, and water to create the Peking sauce. Taste and adjust the sweet-to-sour balance, adding more sugar if needed.
7
Mix potato starch with water to make a slurry for thickening the sauce later.
8
Heat the wok until it starts to smoke, then add about 10 oz of oil. Check that the oil reaches 330-350°F (for the first fry); you can test with a wooden chopstick—bubbles rising from it indicate the oil is ready.
9
Add the batter-coated pork slices one at a time, avoiding thick coatings. Fry in two batches to prevent crowding. Fry for about 1.5-2 minutes until just golden, then remove with a spider strainer.
10
Heat the oil to about 370°F. Return the pork (in batches) for a second quick fry of just 20-30 seconds to make it extra crispy. Scoop out any fried debris from the wok.
11
Pour out the oil, leaving a thin layer in the wok. Add the Peking sauce and heat on medium, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly.
12
Lower the heat and slowly pour in the slurry while stirring to thicken the sauce. Stop adding slurry once you reach the desired consistency. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed, then cook for another 20-30 seconds to dissolve the sugar.
13
Add the fried pork to the sauce and toss to coat evenly. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil to make it glossy.
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