This dish started as Taiwanese pork chops, those thin, crispy slabs of savory pork imbued with the aromatic warmth of five-spice and pungent garlic. But today, I was craving something a little more tangy and saucy.
My solution was to glaze them with a mixture of black vinegar and soy sauce. The glaze strikes the perfect balance between tangy and mildly sweet, with the deep, earthy umami of black vinegar tying it all together.
I recommend using pork chops with plenty of marbling to keep them tender and juicy; I used ¾-inch thick rib chops. The Shaoxing wine not only enhances the flavor of the pork—it also hydrates the salt and spices so they can infuse into the meat more quickly. The pork chops get lightly dusted with potato starch before being pan-fried, which creates a delicate coating that helps the glaze cling to the meat.
The glazing process mellows out the initial punch of the vinegar, transforming it into something more nuanced. But if you're like me and crave that bright acid contrast, try pairing these chops with my Rainbow Five Spice Pickles. The bright flavors and crisp texture of the pickles cut through the richness of the pork.
These chops are undeniably delicious hot off the stove, but they stay tender and flavorful at room temperature, which makes them a fantastic option for a bento box lunch.
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Monika Schleicher-Martin says
Can I sub Mirin for the Chinese wine?
Also, will arrowroot work as well as potatoes starch in this recipe?
I’m always looking to use what I already own.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Monika, I'm sorry for the slow response! Mirin does have a similar taste to Shaoxing wine, however it is much sweeter so you will have to be careful not to let the pork chops burn. As for the starch, I haven't tried arrowroot starch for this before, but I think it should work. If you end up trying it out, I'd love to hear how it goes!
Monika Schleicher-Martin says
Hi Marc,
I ended up using plain old cornstarch, which worked fine but didnt stick to the surface of the chops as I had hoped it would.
The Mirin was great. My pan was plenty hot, I used a 14” skillet, so plenty of room for 4 chops. It didn’t burn.
However, I did not achieve the beautiful glazed surface on the meat, even after flipping and rotating them, im guessing using a pan that size I should have doubled the glaze mixture?
Thanks for a nice recipe. The flavor was very good!
👍
Monika M.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Monika, The recipe is for 2 chops. If you used 4 chops you'll want to to double the amount of glaze too as it needs to coat double the surface area of pork. It also sounds like you may have had problems with the coating coming off. Did this happen as you were pan-frying or while you were glazing? Some of the coating will come off the pork as you're glazing it (it's what thickens the sauce), but there should still be some coating left on the meat, which helps the sauce to adhere to it. You don't need a ton of starch (just a light dusting). If the coating is too thick it might peel off. I hope that helps!