Taiwanese Pork Chops

My daughter is a pretty good eater (eats a good amount, tries new things at least once) but we still have to nag her to eat her meat and veggies at dinnertime.  Every once in awhile she eats them happily and steadily and it makes mealtime enjoyable.

Last night my husband and I made Taiwanese Pork Chops since we don't get a lot of Taiwanese food around here.  We made four (thin cut) and my daughter was asking for more once they were all gone.  Her first bite was adorable- she put it in her mouth and her eyes totally lit up.  W says his grandmother would have been proud that she liked Taiwanese food.  "Crispy meat," as she calls it, is probably going to be a once-a-month treat.  And we'll probably have to make twice as much.

The flavors in this marinade were spot-on.  We used cornstarch and it was the perfect texture.  Thanks, SHARONLIN!  

Taiwanese Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 4 (3/4 inch) thick bone-in pork chops
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon white wine

• 1/2 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder
• vegetable oil
• vegetable oil for frying
• cornstarch 
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• 1. With a sharp knife, make several small slits near the edges of the pork chops to keep them from curling when fried.
  2. Into a large resealable plastic bag, add the soy sauce, garlic, sugar, white wine, and five-spice powder. Place chops into the bag, and close the seal tightly. Carefully massage the marinade into chops, coating well. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, turning the bag over every so often.
  3. In a large skillet, heat enough vegetable oil to fill the skillet to a depth of about 1/2 inch. Remove chops from resealable bag without wiping off marinade. Lightly sprinkle cornstarch on both sides of the chops.
  4. Carefully add chops to skillet; cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through.