Thin Sliced Pork Cutlet Recipe: Silky Lushness on Juicy Cutlets!
Making tender pork cutlets like in restaurants is a tricky job. As thin slices of pork are used in this recipe, the risk of overcooking the meat is high. I perfected the steps of the thin sliced pork cutlet recipe to achieve that tenderness as well as the amazing flavor.
Here is my recipe for making one of the best pork cutlets. This recipe doesn’t require a lot of aromatics or sauces. You just need to give some time and effort to the dish and it will turn out as the best pork cutlets you have ever eaten. Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Thin Sliced Pork Cutlet Recipe Overview
Most of the time required to make this recipe will go into the preparation. Once you get that right, the cooking process will be done in minutes. Here is the complete overview of this recipe.
| Cuisine: Chinese | Difficulty: Medium | ||
| Total Time: 25 minutes | |||
| Serving | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories |
| 4 persons | 15 minutes | 10 minutes | 220 kcal |
Ingredients Needed for the Thin Sliced Pork Cutlet Recipe
I always use minimal ingredients and maximize the flavor of the dish. Fortunately, this dish originally required only a few ingredients. Check the list below.
Main Ingredients for the Recipe
- Pork: I am using 400g of pork rib meat for this recipe. The meat should have a bit of fat content to make the cutlets moist.
- Egg: Just use one egg white. Don’t use the yolk for this recipe.
- Cornstarch: 25g of cornstarch
- Baking Soda: 1/2 tsp of baking soda. It will work as a meat tenderizer.
- Lemon: 1 tsp of lemon juice
- Oil: About 1-2 liters of oil for deep frying
Seasonings for the Recipe
- Salt: 1 tsp
This recipe doesn’t need any sauces to cook. You can serve sauces as dips while serving the cutlets. Let’s start making these juicy cutlets.
Thin Sliced Pork Cutlet Recipe: Step-By-Step Instructions
I will share some of my secret tips throughout the cooking process so that you can make the pork cutlets stand out. Read till the end.
Step 1: Slice the Pork and Soak in Water
Place the pork rib meat onto a flat surface and start slicing the meat into thin strips. Each slice shouldn’t be thicker than 3mm. Also, don’t make the slices any thinner because thin slices dry out faster.
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After slicing the meat, soak the slices in cold water for five minutes. Rinse the slices thoroughly so that there is no blood on the meat. Then, pat the slices dry using a kitchen towel.
Step 2: Beat an Egg White
Take the egg white of a cracked egg in a small bowl and beat the white until it becomes foamy. Then, add 25g of cornstarch to the egg white and continue beating. After a few minutes, it will form a thick slurry. Make sure the slurry is lump-free.
Step 3: Season the Meat Slices
Take the meat slices in a bowl and put 1 tsp of salt into it. Start coating the slices with the salt. You need to slap the slices with both hands, almost in a beating motion, so that the meat slices become sticky.
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Step 4: Add Baking Soda and Lemon Juice
After beating the meat with salt for about a few minutes, add 1/2 tsp of baking soda and 1 tsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the meat. This step is important to tenderize the meat. Baking soda is alkaline and the lemon juice is acidic. The perfect balance of these two will make the meat more tender.
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Continue working out the meat slices until they become sticky and almost form a ball.
Step 5: Add Water in Batches
You need to add about 100g of water to the coated meat. Do this gradually so that the slices remain sticky. Add 25g of water first and mix well with the slices. Let the meat absorb the water.
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Add water three more times (25g each time) and repeat the beating and mixing. This will make the meat slices extremely tender and give a better mouthfeel.
Step 6: Add the Cornstarch Slurry
Once the surface of the meat slices is moisturized, add the cornstarch and egg white slurry to the bowl. Coat all the slices completely. At this point, you can start cooking the meat or let it sit for about one hour in the refrigerator.
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Resting the meat will allow the juices to be redistributed and absorbed back into the muscle fibers.
Step 7: Cook the Meat Slices
Heat up oil in a large wok. Don’t overheat the oil because it will make the cutlets stiff and dry. Once the oil heats up, keep the flame at about 30%. Then, add the marinated meat to the oil.
Don’t stir the meat slices for the first few seconds. Let the protein coagulate so that the coating doesn’t fall off. After a few seconds, stir the slices gently. It will take a few minutes to cook the meat.
Once the meat is cooked, the slices will float on the oil. Remove the cutlets from the oil and let the oil drain.
Step 8: Serve with a Dip!
The white and tender pork cutlets are now ready to be served. You can serve any of your favorite dippings or sauces to go with the cutlets.
Thin Sliced Pork Cutlet Recipes
Ingredients
Method
- Place the pork rib meat onto a flat surface and start slicing the meat into thin strips. Each slice shouldn’t be thicker than 3mm. Also, don’t make the slices any thinner because thin slices dry out faster.
- After slicing the meat, soak the slices in cold water for five minutes. Rinse the slices thoroughly so that there is no blood on the meat. Then, pat the slices dry using a kitchen towel.
- Take the egg white of a cracked egg in a small bowl and beat the white until it becomes foamy. Then, add 25g of cornstarch to the egg white and continue beating. After a few minutes, it will form a thick slurry. Make sure the slurry is lump-free.
- Take the meat slices in a bowl and put 1 tsp of salt into it. Start coating the slices with the salt. You need to slap the slices with both hands, almost in a beating motion, so that the meat slices become sticky.
- After beating the meat with salt for about a few minutes, add 1/2 tsp of baking soda and 1 tsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the meat. This step is important to tenderize the meat. Baking soda is alkaline and the lemon juice is acidic. The perfect balance of these two will make the meat more tender.
- Continue working out the meat slices until they become sticky and almost form a ball.
- You need to add about 100g of water to the coated meat. Do this gradually so that the slices remain sticky. Add 25g of water first and mix well with the slices. Let the meat absorb the water.
- Add water three more times (25g each time) and repeat the beating and mixing. This will make the meat slices extremely tender and give a better mouthfeel.
- Once the surface of the meat slices is moisturized, add the cornstarch and egg white slurry to the bowl. Coat all the slices completely. At this point, you can start cooking the meat or let it sit for about one hour in the refrigerator.
- Resting the meat will allow the juices to be redistributed and absorbed back into the muscle fibers.
- Heat up oil in a large wok. Don’t overheat the oil because it will make the cutlets stiff and dry. Once the oil heats up, keep the flame at about 30%. Then, add the marinated meat to the oil.
- Don’t stir the meat slices for the first few seconds. Let the protein coagulate so that the coating doesn’t fall off. After a few seconds, stir the slices gently. It will take a few minutes to cook the meat.
- Once the meat is cooked, the slices will float on the oil. Remove the cutlets from the oil and let the oil drain.
- The white and tender pork cutlets are now ready to be served. You can serve any of your favorite dippings or sauces to go with the cutlets.
Nutrition Facts of Thin Sliced Pork Cutlet Recipe
As I have used only a few ingredients, this recipe will preserve the nutritional values better than dishes with a lot of sauces and seasonings. Check the list of nutrients below.
- Total Carbohydrates: 11g
- Protein: 26g
- Total Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 1g
- Total Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Total Sugar: 1g
- Cholesterol: 74mg
- Sodium: 377mg
- Potassium: 476mg
- Calcium: 8mg
- Iron: 1mg
- Vitamin A: 142IU
- Folate: 1µg
FAQs
I will answer the most common questions regarding this pork cutlet recipe. You might have the same questions in mind, so don’t skip this.
How is thin-sliced pork cutlet different from regular pork cutlets?
To make the pork cutlets crispy, you must coat them with a healthy amount of cornstarch. The cornstarch coating creates a crispy layer on top of the pork cutlet. Also, you need to slowly cook the cutlets over medium heat to achieve a crispy texture.
Can thin-sliced pork cutlets be grilled?
Of course. Grilled pork cutlets are also delicious. But you need to be careful about the temperature. Otherwise, the cutlets will become stiff and dry. If you want to grill pork cutlets, don’t grill them over the direct fire.
Are pork cutlets and pork chops the same?
Not actually. Pork chops use thick cuts of top loin and are more chunkier. Pork chops usually don’t go through the tenderizing process. But, pork cutlets use more lean and boneless parts of the meat. The meat is also tenderized before cooking the cutlets.
Conclusion
Juicy pork cutlets can be served as snacks or a great side dish to complement rice or noodle dishes. If you don’t want tough or chewy pork cutlets, making this thin sliced pork cutlet recipe is the perfect solution. Thinly sliced strips of pork become so tender due to the use of lemon, baking soda, and the beating.
Make yummy pork cutlets this weekend and enjoy the meaty goodness of juicy pork cutlets. Even though it takes some labor, the effort is totally worth it. Dipping these fried cutlets into soy sauce or garlic sauce will take you out of this world.
