The Pan-fried Pork Chops My Dad's Made 100,000 Times

Step 1: Prepare & tenderize pork

Pat the pork chops (1 lb) dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel. This will help get it ready to soak up that delicious marinade!

Set the pork chops down on a sturdy cutting board. Tenderize and flatten the meat with the back of your knife or a mallet. Thoroughly pound the meat with your knife angled in one direction, then change your angle 90 degrees and pound the meat one more time to create a cross-hatch pattern. This step is important for that ideal tender texture, so your pork chops won't turn out dense and rough.

Step 2: Marinate pork

In a medium-sized bowl, combine oyster sauce (2 tbsp), light soy sauce (1 tbsp), Shaoxing wine (1 tbsp), sugar (2 tsp), black pepper (0.50 tsp), and cornstarch (1 tbsp). Mix well.

If you don't want to use alcohol in the marinade, just omit it.

Add the tenderized pork chops to the marinade. Let it marinate for about 20 minutes.

Step 3: Prepare aromatics

While the meat is marinating, prepare the garlic and ginger. Smash, peel, and mince the garlic (3 clove). Then slice and mince the ginger (0.50 oz).

Slice the white onion and red onion into 1/4-inch thick strips. If you prefer crunchier onions, you can slice them into larger pieces, or if you want them to soften more and melt into the dish, you can slice them more thinly.

Step 4: Coat pork

Spread a layer of cornstarch (3 tbsp) on a plate. Lay each pork chop on the cornstarch and give it a few gentle flips so that the pork chop is lightly coated in cornstarch. Dust off any excess cornstarch.

Step 5: Pan-fry pork chops

Heat a pan over high heat.

Once the pan is hot, add oil (3 tbsp), enough to cover the bottom of the pan. You want to be generous enough with the oil so that the pork chops don't stick and to get that fragrant frying aroma, but keep in mind that more oil may also result in more splatter.

Let the oil heat up, then gently place the pork chops into the pan. Immediately turn the heat down to medium to prevent the pork chops from burning.

After about 4-5 minutes, or when the bottom surface is golden brown, flip the pork chops.

Step 6: Add aromatics & final seasonings

Let it fry for another 2-3 minutes, then push the pork chops to the sides of your pan. In the center space, add the ginger, garlic, and onions. Make sure these ingredients get underneath the pork chops so they can be closer to the heat and start cooking nicely.

Let the aromatics cook down for about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle garlic salt (1 tsp) over the pork chops to taste and add Shaoxing wine (1 tsp). Cover the pan immediately with the lid and turn the heat off.

The steam will help finish the pork chops through without drying them out, and the alcohol will really help all the flavors meld together. If you're not cooking with any alcohol, use water or broth for this step. Cook covered with the heat off like this for 2-3 minutes. Then, uncover, give a quick, final stir, and plate. Create a comfortable bed of onions and aromatics and nestle the pork chops on top. Enjoy!