In this article, I’d like to share my favorite easy pork chop recipe – an Asian-style garlic pork chop.

This garlic pork chop tastes different from the garlic butter pork chops popular outside Asia. You will expect the flavor to be Asianized as the seasonings are primarily used in Chinese and Vietnamese food. Despite that, the garlic flavor comes through clearly among the spices.

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How to prepare the garlic pork chop

Here is the step-by-step method to prepare my favorite garlic pork chop. It is an easy recipe that only needs to marinate and pan-fry the meat. 

1. Marinate the pork chops

The preparation is identical whether you choose boneless pork or bone-in chops. I prefer to marinate it a day in advance, so I only need to pan-fry it the next day for a quick dinner.

Here are the steps:

1. Pound the pork chops with the spine of the cleaver. 
2. Then, prepare the marinade, consisting of a few Asian seasonings. Season the pork with brown sugar, crushed garlic, Chinese black vinegar, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and vegetable oil.
3. Place the pork chops in the refrigerator to marinate for half a day.

Notes and tips:

• Pound the pork chop helps break down the tough tissues to make it more tender.
• Most Asian seasonings are available at the Asian grocery store.
• You can substitute the black vinegar with lemon juice.
• Crushing the garlic with a garlic crusher will save you time.
• Worcestershire sauce is now widely used in some pan-Asian fusion dishes.
• Marinating is helpful as it infuses flavor and helps ensure you get tender pork chops.
• You can use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. I would crush and mash the garlic instead of mincing it to absorb the flavor into the meat effectively.
• If you have kids, omit the red pepper flakes to make it non-spicy, so the whole family can enjoy the pork chops.

2. Pan-fry the pork chops 

You can pan-fry the pork chops with a non-stick pan over the stovetop. A cast-iron pan, grilled pan, and cast-iron skillet are also suitable as they are non-stick. But, of course, it is even better if you can grill it over charcoal.

Here are the steps:

1. Remove the pork chops from the refrigerator and let them return to room temperature.
2. Remove the excess marinade from the pork chop. Keep the marinade for making the gravy in the next step.
3. Heat some oil in the pan. When heated to medium, place the pork chop on it and sear it until one side has developed charred marks.
4. Turn to the other side and pan-fry the chops until the charred marks develop.
5. Check the doneness of the pork. It is cooked when the temperature is approaching 60°C/145°F. Remove the pork chops from the pan.

Notes and tips:

1. Let the pork chops return to room temperature before pan-frying or grilling if you marinate them in the refrigerator. This step ensures that the pork chop’s inner part is cooked correctly.
2. The pork is fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches 60°C/145°F. The easiest way is to insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the pork chop to determine the doneness.
3. Using high temperatures when cooking pork chops is not advisable because they will become dry and tough.
4. The cooking time varies as it depends on the heat of the stove. It also takes more time to cook thick pork chops. 

3. Make the pork chop gravy

The final step is to prepare the gravy with the leftover marinade,

1. Pour the excess marinade into a saucepan.
2. Add some chicken broth and dark soy sauce. Cook down the excess marinade and thicken it with cornstarch. When the gravy starts to thicken, return the pork chop to the pan to let it absorb the gravy over low heat. 

Notes and tips:

• The meat will become extra moist and juicy after absorbing more gravy.

It is one of my favorite recipes for an easy weeknight dinner. Try this recipe next time you are out of ideas for what to cook for dinner. It is the best pork chop recipe for a quick dinner. It is ideal for serving with rice pilaf, fried rice, and some stir-fried vegetables or salad to make up a complete meal.

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Garlic Pork Chop

Yield: 4 pork chops

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Tasty garlic pork chops with an Asian Twist. The pork is marinated with soy sauce, fish sauce, and black vinegar. Pair with fried rice for a complete meal.

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Ingredients

A (the marinade)

• 2 thick pork chops (about 250g each)
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 8 cloves garlic, crushed into a paste
• 1 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tsp chili pepper flakes
• 2 tsp vegetable oil

B (the gravy)

• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
• All the excess marinade
• 2 tsp cornstarch (to make a slurry with water)

Instructions

1. Pound the pork chops with the spine of the cleaver. 
2. Marinate the pork chops with ingredients A for half a day.
3. After that, remove the excess marinade from the pork chop. 
4. Heat some oil in the pan. Pan-fry the pork chops at medium heat until one side has developed the charred mark.
5. Turn to the other side to continue to pan-fry the chops until the charred marks develop.
6. Heat the excess marinade with other ingredients in B in a saucepan to form a gravy.
7. Return the pork chop to the pan to let it absorb the gravy over low heat. Serve.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 390Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 2447mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 14gProtein: 23g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 4/7/2022