These salt and pepper ‘pork’ strips are fried until crispy and sautéed with an aromatic mix of chiles, bell peppers, green onions, and seasoned with a spice mix of 5 spice powder, white pepper, and salt.
SALT AND PEPPER “PORK”
This is inspired by those form Chinese restaurants and are perfect enjoyed as is or with some rice or noodles. I also have a salt and pepper tofu recipe here.
VEGAN “PORK” STRIPS
Vegan Pork or Soy Chunks/Curls
I used omnipork strips. If you don’t have the exact ones, you can use other vegan meat substitutes. Soy curls or chunks work great too!
Some substitutes (affiliate links):
PREPARING SOY CHUNKS OR CURLS
If using soy curls or soy chunks, you’ll need around 80 grams dried soy chunks/curls.
- Rehydrating the soy chunks: Rehydrate the soy chunks by placing these in a bowl and soaking in boiling hot water until doubled or even tripled in size. You can also rehydrate the chunks overnight. I simple place these in a container and add room temperature water to soak the chunks in.
- Squeeze out the liquid from each soy chunk. If your soy chunks are the type that are in larger pieces (like mine), you can break these apart into small pieces.
OTHER INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED:
Spice Mix
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black or white pepper
- 1/4 tsp 5 spice powder
For Sautéing
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 siling haba sliced
- 2 siling labuyo optional for extra heat
- 1 small green or red bell pepper
- 2 scallions or green onions thinly sliced
- Additional salt to taste, if needed
COATING THE PORK STRIPS OR OTHER MEAT SUBSTITUTE
- In a large bowl, mix the cornstarch, salt, pepper, and 5 spice powder.
- Add the pork strips into the cornstarch mix. Mix the pieces into the starch until these are coated well.
FRYING THE STRIPS
- Check the heat of the oil. If you see small bubbles, you can test it out by getting a small piece. Add it in the oil and if it immediately sizzles very rapidly, it’s good to go. Remember, you’ll want to fry the pieces quickly to get them crisp evenly so the oil has to be very hot.
- Add in the coated strips (1/3 of the batch or depending on the size of your pan/wok). Make sure not to overcrowd the pieces so these can all cook well.
- Leave the strips to cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute or so, until crisp, and then immediately remove from the oil. Do not over fry the pieces.
- Add another batch of strips into the oil and cook until crisp. Transfer the pieces to a strainer to drain excess oil.
Spice Mix
- Meanwhile, prepare the salt and spices in a small bowl. Mix well then set aside for later.
Sautéing
- In the same pan/wok you used to fry the strips, add in some oil over high heat.
- When hot, add in the onions and sauté for 1 minute. Move to the side of the pan/wok and then add in the garlic.
- Leave the garlic to cook over medium high heat until golden brown and crisp.
- You can add in the chiles and peppers to cook down as well.
- When the garlic is golden brown, add in the white parts of the onion leeks then mix everything together and leave to cook for 1-2 more minutes until the chiles and onions are cooked.
- Over high heat, add in the crispy pork strips and the green part of the onion leeks.
- Sprinkle 1/2 of the salt and spice mix first. Mix well and add in the rest of the spices.
- Taste the strips and feel free to add more salt, to taste, if needed.
ENJOY!
- Serve and enjoy immediately while still hot and crisp. You’ll want to scoop up those little bits of crispy garlic, onions and chiles, and enjoy it with rice.
OTHER VEGAN RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
Salt and Pepper “Pork” Strips (Vegan)
These salt and pepper ‘pork’ strips are fried until crispy and sautéed with an aromatic mix of chiles, bell peppers, green onions, and seasoned with a spice mix of 5 spice powder, white pepper, and salt. This is inspired by those form Chinese restaurants and are perfect enjoyed as is or with some rice or noodles.
Ingredients
Strips
- 300 g vegan "pork" strips or soy curls/chunks (see notes)
For Frying
- Neutral cooking oil
Coating
- 6-8 tbsp cornstarch more if needed
- 1/8 tsp fine salt
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/4 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
Spice Mix
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black or white pepper
- 1/4 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
For Sautéing
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 siling haba sliced
- 2 siling labuyo optional for extra heat
- 1 small green or red bell pepper
- 2 scallions or green onions thinly sliced
- Additional salt to taste, if needed
Instructions
Pre-Heating the Oil
- Heat a large frying pan or wok with enough oil to submerge the strips.
Coating
- In a large bowl, mix the cornstarch, salt, pepper, and 5 spice powder.
- Add the pork strips into the cornstarch mix. Mix the pieces into the starch until these are coated well.
Cooking the "Pork"
- Check the heat of the oil. If you see small bubbles, you can test it out by getting a small piece. Add it in the oil and if it immediately sizzles very rapidly, it’s good to go. Remember, you’ll want to fry the pieces quickly to get them crisp evenly so the oil has to be very hot.
- Add in the coated strips (1/3 of the batch or depending on the size of your pan/wok). Make sure not to overcrowd the pieces so these can all cook well.
- Leave the strips to cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute or so, until crisp, and then immediately remove from the oil. Do not over fry the pieces.
- Add another batch of strips into the oil and cook until crisp. Transfer the pieces to a strainer to drain excess oil.
Spice Mix
- Meanwhile, prepare the salt and spices in a small bowl. Mix well then set aside for later.
Sautéing
- In the same pan/wok you used to fry the strips, add in some oil over high heat.
- When hot, add in the onions and sauté for 1 minute. Move to the side of the pan/wok and then add in the garlic.
- Leave the garlic to cook over medium high heat until golden brown and crisp.
- You can add in the chiles and peppers to cook down as well.
- When the garlic is golden brown, add in the white parts of the onion leeks then mix everything together and leave to cook for 1-2 more minutes until the chiles and onions are cooked.
- Over high heat, add in the crispy pork strips and the green part of the onion leeks.
- Sprinkle 1/2 of the salt and spice mix first. Mix well and add in the rest of the spices.
- Taste the strips and feel free to add more salt, to taste, if needed.
- Serve and enjoy immediately while still hot and crisp. You’ll want to scoop up those little bits of crispy garlic, onions and chiles, and enjoy it with rice.
Notes
Vegan Pork or Soy Chunks/Curls
I used omnipork strips. If you don’t have the exact ones, you can use other vegan meat substitutes. Soy curls or chunks work great too! Some substitutes: PREPARING SOY CHUNKS OR CURLS If using soy curls or soy chunks, you’ll need around 80 grams dried soy chunks/curls.- Rehydrating the soy chunks: Rehydrate the soy chunks by placing these in a bowl and soaking in boiling hot water until doubled or even tripled in size. You can also rehydrate the chunks overnight. I simple place these in a container and add room temperature water to soak the chunks in.
-
Squeeze out the liquid from each soy chunk. If your soy chunks are the type that are in larger pieces (like mine), you can break these apart into small pieces.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 490mg | Potassium: 34mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 4mg
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