Taiwanese Pork Chop Rice

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A beloved Taiwanese street-food classic, this dish features a juicy, crispy breaded pork chop sliced over fluffy jasmine rice and smothered in a tangy onion-tomato sauce. It is the kind of hearty, satisfying meal found at lunchtime counters across Taiwan, equally at home in a night-market stall or a family kitchen.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 720 kcalCalories
• 28 gFat
• 7 gSaturated Fat
• 75 gCarbs
• 3 gFiber
• 9 gSugar
• 42 gProtein
• 1180 mgSodium
• 650 mgPotassium
• 110 mgCalcium
• 4 mgIron
• 6 mgVitamin C
• 180 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the pork chops

• 4 boneless pork loin chops (about 150 g / 5 oz each), trimmed
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 large eggs, beaten with 1 tbsp water
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• Vegetable oil, for shallow frying (about 1.5 cups)

For the sauce

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp cold water

For serving

• 4 cups cooked jasmine rice, kept warm
• 4 sunny-side up fried eggs (optional)
• 1/3 cup pickled mustard greens, drained
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• Cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Pound each pork chop between two sheets of plastic wrap to an even 1 cm (about 3/8 in) thickness. Season both sides with salt, white pepper, soy sauce, and rice wine; let marinate 15 minutes at room temperature.
2. Set up three shallow bowls: cornstarch, beaten eggs, and panko. Coat each chop in cornstarch, shaking off the excess, dip fully in egg, then press firmly into panko until evenly coated on both sides. Rest the coated chops on a rack for 5 minutes to set the crust.
3. Heat about 1.5 cm (1/2 in) of oil in a heavy skillet to 175 °C / 350 °F. Fry two chops at a time without crowding, 4 to 5 minutes per side, until deeply golden and the internal temperature reaches 70 °C / 160 °F. Drain on a wire rack and keep warm.
4. While the chops fry, make the sauce: heat 2 tbsp oil in a saucepan over medium heat, sauté the onion until soft and lightly browned (5 minutes), then add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
5. Stir in ketchup, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and chicken stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 3 minutes to blend the flavors. Pour in the cornstarch slurry and stir for 30 to 60 seconds until the sauce turns glossy and coats the back of a spoon.
6. Divide the warm jasmine rice among four deep bowls. Slice each pork chop against the grain into 1.5 cm (3/4 in) strips and arrange fanned over the rice.
7. Spoon the warm onion-tomato sauce generously over the pork. Top each bowl with a fried egg, a small mound of pickled mustard greens, scallions, and a grind of black pepper. Serve immediately while the crust is still crisp.

Cook’s Notes

• Pound the chops to a uniform thickness so they cook evenly and stay tender; thicker centers dry out before the crust crisps.
• Maintain the oil at 175 °C / 350 °F; if it drops, the crust absorbs oil and turns greasy, if it climbs too high, the panko burns before the pork cooks through.
• For an extra-crisp crust, double-dredge: repeat the egg and panko step once more before frying.
• The sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and reheated with a splash of stock to loosen it.
• Use day-old jasmine rice if you are not serving immediately; freshly cooked rice can turn gummy under the hot sauce.

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