Korean Pork Chop Fritters (탕수육)

A Korean-Chinese classic. This crispy, pan-fried fritter features juicy nuggets of meat, served with a sweet-and-sour pepper relish.

Korea is home to many Chinese immigrants, particularly from Shandong province. With them, they brought the classic Chinese remedy for rich meats and seafood: a sweet-and-sour sauce, or ‘tang cu’ (糖醋) - literally ‘sweet-sour’. The secret to making an excellent sweet-and-sour sauce is making a caramel at the start, which creates a rich, sophisticated sweet and sour sauce that doesn’t feel too sweet. With that, a crispy pork fritter which is a modern, weeknight-friendly answer to old-fashioned slow-roast meats. For the more health-conscious Koreans, the true lure of this pork fritter is that it has the crispiness of pork belly but uses boneless, lean pork chops. Together with the sauce, this dish is known as ‘tangsuyuk’. The sweet-and-sour sauce can be used as a dipping sauce or poured all over the fritter at the table; Koreans love to argue over either! Let’s go!

INGREDIENTS (serves 1x)

• 3 tablespoons potato starch or cornflour

• 200ml water

• 3x boneless pork loin chops, trimmed and diced

• 2x cloves garlic, grated

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

PEPPER SAUCE

• 3 tablespoons white sugar

• 200ml water

• 1 bell pepper, small diced

• 1 clove garlic, diced

• 1/2 inch piece of ginger, grated

• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or other light vinegar)

• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce

• 2 tsps cornflour

WALKTHROUGH

1. First, let’s make the starch slurry. In a measuring jug, add the 3 tablespoons of potato starch/cornflour. Gradually add the 200ml of water and mix until you form a milky mixture. Set this aside for 15 minutes.

   

2. Now let’s prepare the pork. Take 3 boneless pork loin chops and trim away any excess fat. Slice the pork into bitesize pieces and add it to a mixing bowl. Add 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp pepper and 2 grated cloves of garlic. Mix until combined.

   

3. Now we’ll drain the starch slurry. The starch will have settled at the bottom of the jug, with a clear layer of water on top. Carefully pour away all of the water layer. Add the remaining starch goo to the pork mixture and mix until the meat is well-coated and set aside.

   

   

   

4. Let’s make the sweet and sour sauce. Place a saucepan onto medium heat and scatter over the 3 tablespoons of white sugar. Allow the sugar to gently melt and caramelise until lightly golden. Add 200ml of water - be careful of any spluttering - and stir over medium heat until the caramel pieces have dissolved.

   

   

5. Add the diced bell pepper, diced garlic clove, grated ginger, 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes.

   

6. Now we’ll thicken the sauce. Add 2 tsps of cornflour to a small cup and add a dash of water. Make a thin paste and add this mixture to the simmering sauce. Allow it to thicken for 30 seconds and remove the sauce from the heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

   

   

7. Now let’s cook the pork fritter. Place a saucepan onto medium heat and allow it to heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and allow it to coat the pan.

   

8. Add the pork mixture to the pan and briskly spread it out to form a pancake. It will stick quickly. Cook the fritter on medium heat for 3 minutes a side, turning it over gently with a pair of spatulas.

   

   

   

   

9. Transfer the pork fritter to a serving a plate. Break it up with chopsticks and enjoy it with the sweet and sour sauce - it’s great to share also! Enjoy!