Sweet 'n Sticky Deep-fried Pork Chops

Ever since I discovered maltose, I have been using it in my deep-fried pork dishes to give it the sticky consistency often found when you order at chinese restaurants. Here's a description of maltose from Recipetips.com:

"A crystalline, water-soluble sugar that is formed from germinated barley as it ferments during the brewing and distilling process, prior to being made into alcohol. Also called malt sugar or yitang, maltose is mainly used as a nutrient or sweetener and can be found in organic or specialty food stores. Common in Asian cooking, maltose is used in making food dishes such as Peking Roast Duck for which the malt sugar is used to baste the outer skin of the duck prior to cooking, creating a sweet, browned and crispy coating that keeps the meat moist as it cooks."

If you love pork chops, try this recipe. I coated the pork chops in flour and deep-fried them till crispy, and then tossed them in  some delicious sticky sweet and sour sauce, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.

Deep-fried spiced pork chop in sticky sweet sauce

Sweet 'n Sticky Deep-fried Pork Chops

Ingredients:

3 pork chops (approx 600g), flattened and tenderised with a meat mallet
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Half a red pepper/capsicum, diced (optional)
Some toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Peanut oil for deep-frying

Marinade:
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp five-spice powder
1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 egg
1 tbsp cornflour
1 1/2 tbsp plain flour
Extra cornflour for dusting (before frying)

Sauce:
6 tbsp tomato sauce
1 1/2 tbsp maltose
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp kecap manis (or 1 tsp thick dark soy sauce, for colour)
1 1/2 tbsp chinese cooking wine
1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
100ml water
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Combine pork with marinade and leave in fridge for 4 hours. Remove from the fridge half an hour before cooking.
2. Heat up some peanut oil in a wok, enough for deep-frying. Sprinkle some of the extra cornflour on both sides of the pork chop, shake off excess and lower it into the hot oil. Deep-fry for about 6-8 minutes or until cooked. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
3. Heat up a tablespoon of oil in a clean wok and fry garlic briefly, then add capsicum and fry on high heat. Add sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce until it's reduced to a thick syrupy consistency. Toss in the pork chops and coat it with the sauce. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.



 Crispy deep-fried five-spiced pork chop

Maltose