Fried pork is cooked in oil and can be served on its own or as a stuffing or topping. Maintaining oil temperature is important. Chicharron is a Latin American dish made by frying fatty pork cubes, while tonkatsu is a Japanese dish made by coating thin pork cuts in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. Some recipes involve frying an entire roast with flavor injections.
Fried pork is typically a cut of pork — or pig — that is cooked at least partially in enough oil to completely cover the meat. Some recipes place a whole prepared roast in a fryer for an hour or more, while others call for breading cutlets thinly and frying them for a few minutes. In Japan, tonkatsu is deep-fried pork that has been dredged with egg crumbs, flour, and panko bread. The Latin American dish known as chicharron is made by frying cubes of pork or pork skins. Fried pork can be served on its own straight from the oil, used as a stuffing or topping for another dish, or cooked further in a sauce to reduce any crispy character on the outside.
One of the major challenges involved in preparing any type of deep-fried pork is maintaining the temperature of the oil. Whether the pork is a whole ham or just a few cubes, the oil needs to be kept at a fairly consistent level so that the pork is cooked through and crispy on the outside without burning or charring. In general, oil is the correct temperature for frying pork when the added pieces of pork are simmered and cooked slowly but do not char or immediately sink to the bottom without reaction. Some cuts of pork need to be fried for an hour or more, so having a way to maintain the temperature is vital.
Chicharron is a popular Latin American dish that is made by taking small fatty cubes of pork and frying them in oil until the outside is crispy and the meat inside is just cooked through. Depending on the region, it can also be just the skin of the pig that is fried until crispy. The resulting chicharron can be included in recipes for tacos and other appetizers, or it can be served on its own as a snack.
Tonkatsu is a Japanese dish and involves cutting thin cuts of pork and coating them in flour, egg and breadcrumbs to form a crust. They are fried until crispy and served with a special dipping sauce that has sweet and earthy elements. Tonkatsu can also be accompanied by hot Japanese mustard and other spicy seasonings that help cut through the oiliness of the fried pork.
In some cuisines, deep-fried pork involves preparing an entire roast as if it were meant to be barbecued. Flavor injections from specialty sauces, marinades, and dry rubs can be used to give the meat a tender, moist texture and flavor when fried. In some cases roasts can be fried for an hour or more. In some recipes, the roast is removed from the fryer and cooked in a moist oven over a pot of water to help reconstitute any bits on the surface that have chipped too much.
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