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Recipe for Crispy Fried Pork Strips

Estimated Cooking Difficulty: ★★★

Essential Ingredients and Tools

  • Boneless pork (choose fat-to-lean ratio to your preference)
  • Vegetable oil
  • Fresh ginger
  • Green onions
  • Cooking wine
  • Salt
  • Shisanxiang (13-spice blend)
  • White pepper powder
  • MSG
  • Chicken bouillon powder
  • Crushed Sichuan peppercorns
  • Whole Sichuan peppercorns
  • Light soy sauce
  • Eggs
  • All-purpose flour
  • Sweet potato starch

Measurements

Main Ingredients

  • Pork 500 g

Secondary Ingredients

  • Eggs 2
  • All-purpose flour 30 g
  • Sweet potato starch 120 g

Ginger and Scallion Water

  • Fresh ginger 20 g
  • Green onions 15 g
  • Cooking wine 15 g
  • Water 80 g

Marinating Seasonings

  • Salt 4 g
  • Shisanxiang 2 g
  • White pepper powder 3 g
  • MSG 5 g
  • Chicken bouillon powder 5 g
  • Crushed Sichuan peppercorns 3 g
  • Whole Sichuan peppercorns 3 g
  • Light soy sauce 8 g

Instructions

Preparing Ginger and Scallion Water

  • Julienne the fresh ginger; do not cut the green onions.
  • Add the cooking wine and water according to the measurements above.
  • Knead by hand for 5 minutes to fully infuse the water with the ginger and scallion flavors.

Preparing the Pork

  • Remove any remaining skin from the pork and wash it clean.
  • Cut into strips measuring 8–10 cm in length and 1.5 cm in thickness.
  • Add the salt, Shisanxiang, white pepper powder, MSG, chicken bouillon powder, crushed Sichuan peppercorns, whole Sichuan peppercorns, and light soy sauce as listed above.
  • Pour in the prepared ginger and scallion water.
  • Mix thoroughly and knead for 10 minutes until the meat absorbs all the liquid and becomes sticky.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Coating the Pork

  • Add the all-purpose flour and sweet potato starch to the marinated meat, along with the egg whites.
  • Knead thoroughly for 15 minutes.

First Frying (Setting the Shape)

  • Pour vegetable oil into a wok or pan. Adjust the amount based on the pan size, ensuring the oil depth is at least 3 cm.
  • Heat the oil over high heat to 150°C, then reduce to low heat to maintain the temperature.
  • Use chopsticks to place the coated meat strips into the oil, shaping them as desired. Fry for 3–5 minutes to set the shape. The strips are ready when they turn slightly yellow and feel slightly firm when nudged with a spatula. Exact time may vary depending on the size of the meat pieces, oil temperature, and coating thickness.
  • Remove and drain the oil.

Tip: If unsure about the timing, fry for a slightly longer duration to avoid a raw taste. If you lack experience, fry the strips one by one to prevent them from sticking together.

Second Frying (Finishing)

  • Increase the oil temperature to 180°C. Add the partially fried meat strips and fry until golden brown. Remove and serve.

Additional Notes

  • Ensure the sweet potato starch is fully broken up and mixed into the coating. Do not leave dry clumps, as they may burn during frying!
  • If you have too much meat to finish at once, you can only perform the first frying step and store the meat in the refrigerator. When ready to eat later, take it out and perform the second frying; the texture will remain largely unaffected.

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for process improvements while following the steps in this guide, please open an Issue or submit a Pull Request.