Taiwanese Pork Chop Plate

A Taiwanese pork chop plate is a thing of beauty. The full monty version usually consists of:

• A crispy fried pork chop
• A halved tea egg (because the giant pork chop wasn’t enough protein—duh)
• Pickled mustard greens (for that perfectly pickled bit of tang)
• Sautéed cabbage
• A bed of steamed white rice

Which one do you eat first?! How do you approach all the elements of this heaping plate of goodness? The answer is simultaneously. Vigorously.

A Classic Taiwanese Dish

Taiwanese fried pork chops are right up there alongside other heavy hitting Taiwanese hits like Beef Noodle Soup and Gua Bao pork buns. 

I have not yet made it to Taiwan, but I’ve seen plenty of Taiwanese dramas! (Given the current state of things, that’s probably as close as I’ll get for a while.)

The basic drama formula: doe-eyed girl falls for grumpy boy, and through a series of endless shenanigans, they get married! Inevitably, the relationship becomes a family affair, complete with kooky in-laws and many awkward family dinners. Naturally, I get distracted by the food.

See also: my track record watching Korean dramas. (Which is better? Wallowing in the protagonist’s abject heartache, or gazing at that hubcap-sized bowl of bibimbap she’s drowning her sorrows in?) 

The Pork Chop Coating Debate

It seems there are two approaches to a Taiwanese fried pork chop—one calls for marinating the pork chops, then dredging them in a coating of potato starch to yield more of a crumb. 

The alternative calls for marinating, and then a mixing of potato starch and water to make a paste that yields a uniform coating. 

We’ve opted for the second, which creates a delicious consistency. Both are delicious, though, and it seems to be something of a personal preference. 

Beyond the coating, successful frying hinges on a couple of things:

• hammering the pork chops to a ½-inch thickness
• making strategic cuts along the outer perimeter to make sure the pork chop stays flat

But we’ll get to that in the recipe.

Cheap Lunch to Eat Out…Or an Elaborate Dinner at Home

Just like a good bowl of Taiwanese beef noodle soup, the competition to be the best is fierce. In New York, I don’t know that I’d say there are Taiwanese pork chop turf wars, but there are two go-to’s: May Wah Fast Food and Taiwan Pork Chop House. Both are solid candidates, and the best part is, a pork chop plate will run you about $7! 

At May Wah, they serve their Taiwanese pork chops with a gravy of sorts. Taiwan Pork Chop House nixes the sauce, which we’ve also opted to do. This is not only to make things easier for the home cook, we also prefer emphasizing the pure flavors of the pork chop with the rice and pickled greens. 

That said, while this is a cheap meal to eat out, it’s a rich and delicious dish that takes some effort and pre-planning for the home cook. The pre-planning involves marinating the pork chops, and making the tea eggs. From there, just time your rice and cabbage correctly, and finish the whole thing with the stir-fried pickled mustard greens. 

Not to worry, though, we’ve got all the instructions below for a successful go at home! 

Taiwanese Pork Chop Plate: Recipe Instructions

First prepare the pork chops. Rinse them under cold running water to remove any bone fragments and other impurities (be sure to disinfect the sink after you’re done). To avoid curling during frying, make 1-inch cuts around the perimeter of the pork chop, about 1-2 inches apart.

After that, use a rolling pin to hammer the chops to a ½-inch thickness. It can help to put some parchment paper on top of the chops to prevent splatter. 

Add them to a large bowl, and add the grated garlic, 3 tablespoons water, salt, sugar, white pepper, five spice powder, light soy sauce, wine, and 1 teaspoon potato starch. Mix thoroughly to coat the pork chops. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight. 

While your pork chops are marinating, you’ll want to prepare some other items. First, the tea eggs—if you’re only letting your pork chops marinate for 3 hours, you’ll need to make the tea eggs the night before (you could also make plain hard-boiled eggs if pressed for time). You can also wash and chop the napa cabbage, and prepare your mustard green ingredients. You’ll also need to make rice!

When you’re ready to fry the pork chops, add the additional ½ cup water and ½ cup potato starch to the pork chops.

Toss them until they’re evenly coated in the resulting paste.

In a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, add about ¾ inch oil, and heat over medium high heat. When some of the marinade dipped into the hot oil sizzles vigorously, you’re ready to fry. 

Fry the pork chops one at a time, carefully lowering them into the hot oil so they lay completely flat.

Fry for about 3 minutes on each side, lowering the heat to medium if needed (i.e. if the pork chops are getting too dark). Repeat with all four pork chops. 

When you’re on the third or fourth pork chop, if you are able, we recommend getting some kitchen help and sautéing the mustard greens. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a hot wok until just smoking. Break the dried chili pepper in half and add it to the oil with the garlic. 

After 20 seconds, add the mustard greens and sugar.

Stir until heated through (they should not take on any color). This quick process should take about 4-5 minutes.

You’ll also need to stir-fry your choice of greens. Add another couple tablespoons oil to your wok, and heat until it’s just smoking. Add the ginger and garlic, let sizzle for 10-20 seconds, and follow with the napa cabbage. Cook until the cabbage is wilted, and season with salt to taste. 

The last thing to do is peel a couple of tea eggs, and you’re ready to assemble your Taiwanese Pork Chop plate! 

On each plate, serve rice, a pile of cabbage, a healthy few spoonfuls of the mustard greens, a halved tea egg, and of course a pork chop! We also had a bit of my mom’s Chinese pickled cucumbers on the side. 

This meal is hearty, delicious, and proclaimed to be the best Taiwanese pork chop we’ve ever had.

The recipe serves four very hungry people or 6 lighter eaters.