Recreate a Chinese takeaway favourite with this delicious salt & chilli crispy pork recipe!
Salt and chilli dishes have exploded in popularity in Chinese takeaways in recent years, and deservedly so. The tastebud tantalising combination of savoury and sweet that comes from the magic salt and pepper seasoning is very moreish indeed. So popular has this style of dish become, there are increasing salt and chilli menu options available nowadays, including even pizza and haggis.
To make this dish, I use pork shoulder steaks. These need slow cooked in order to become tender, but this requirement for forward planning can be turned to our advantage. By slow cooking a batch of pork shoulder steaks on a lazy day and freezing for future use, you’ll never be far away from a dish to satisfy your cravings.
Ingredients For Salt And Chilli Crispy Pork
This recipe uses slow cooked pork shoulder, given a crispy coating with potato starch and custard powder.
- Pork Shoulder Steaks: These pork shoulder cuts are typically inexpensive but require slow cooking to become tender.
- Chinese Salt And Pepper Mix: You can use a shop-bought mix, or make your own.
- Other Ingredients: Vegetable Oil, Chopped Garlic In Oil, Onion, Carrot, Spring Onion, Crushed Chilli Flakes, Rice Wine.
How To Make Salt And Chilli Crispy Pork
With the pork shoulder slow cooked, making salt and chilli crispy pork is so easy! A simple breading of egg, potato starch and custard powder coats the pork pieces which are deep fried until crispy and golden. Then, the cooked pork is finished in a hot wok with traditional salt and chilli ingredients.
Step 1: Pork
Heat oil for deep frying to 180C. Add the cooked pork pieces to a large bowl. Add the egg and mix briefly, then add the custard powder and plain flour, mixing well until the pork pieces are well coated. Carefully drop the pork pieces into the hot oil and fry for 3 minutes or until piping hot and crispy.
Step 2: Salt And Chilli
Heat a wok or large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and swirl around the pan. Add the sliced onion and carrot and stir-fry for 20 seconds, then add the cooked crispy pork pieces and the chopped garlic in oil. Season generously with salt and pepper mix, add the spring onion and stir-fry for 20 seconds. Finish with the crushed chilli flakes and rice wine and mix well once more.
Step 3: Serve
Pour the salt and chilli crispy pork on to a serving plate. Serve with curry sauce or sweet and sour sauce on the side if desired.
I hope you’ll try this salt and chilli crispy pork recipe. If you do, let me know in the comments how it went!
- 8-10 bite sized pieces slow cooked pork shoulder steak see notes
- 1/2 egg whisked
- 6 tablespoons potato starch
- 4 tablespoons custard powder
- Oil for deep frying
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 small onion sliced
- 1/4 carrot sliced
- 1 generous teaspoon chopped garlic in oil
- 1 generous teaspoon salt and pepper mix
- 1 spring onion sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed chilli flakes
- 2 teaspoons rice wine
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Heat oil for deep frying to 180C. Add the cooked pork pieces to a large bowl. Add the egg and mix briefly, then add the custard powder and plain flour, mixing well until the pork pieces are well coated. Carefully drop the pork pieces into the hot oil and fry for 3 minutes or until piping hot and crispy.
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Heat a wok or large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and swirl around the pan. Add the sliced onion and carrot and stir-fry for 20 seconds, then add the cooked crispy pork pieces and the chopped garlic in oil. Season generously with salt and pepper mix, add the spring onion and stir-fry for 20 seconds. Finish with the crushed chilli flakes and rice wine and mix well once more.
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Pour the salt and chilli crispy pork on to a serving plate. Serve with curry sauce if desired.
This recipe uses slow cooked pork shoulder.
Do you like this Chinese takeaway style salt and chilli crispy pork recipe? If so, buying a copy of my book might appeal to you! In The Chinese Takeaway Secret you can find a host of restaurant and takeaway style recipes that you can make at home. You’ll learn how to make prawn toast, szechuan chicken, chow mein, fried rice and more! You can buy The Chinese Takeaway Secret in paperback or kindle form here.
- McGovern, Kenny (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 240 Pages – 06/09/2022 (Publication Date) – Robinson (Publisher)
