Little Crispy Pork, or xiǎo sū ròu (小酥肉), is a Sichuan dish of small strips of battered and fried boneless pork, seasoned with toasted Sichuan peppercorn. While you may not see it outside of China, it’s a delicious meal that you can now enjoy with this recipe!
These little morsels are very tasty on their own, but you also see them served in soups and hot pots. Imagine these little fried pieces of pork soaking up the flavor of a spicy hot pot broth!
A Recipe You Can Riff On
Even in Sichuan restaurants here in the U.S., we don’t often see this dish. We’ve seen plenty of fried pork chops, fried chicken, and fried fish dishes, but not these little crispy pork pieces served simply, without any sauce.
I made a point to try it during our last trip to Shanghai, but later discovered that, just like braised pork, each region has its own distinctive approach.
The spices used in different variations include ginger, Shaoxing wine, ground pepper, soy sauce, salt, five spice powder, or 13 spice powder. The batter variations involve regular flour, rice flour, cornstarch, sweet potato starch, and whole eggs. Just to be clear—there’s no water in the batter.
So you can be pretty creative with this dish! Like Bill’s fried pork ribs that include fermented bean curd as part of the seasoning, why not experiment as long as it turns out tasty?
This recipe is heavy on the Sichuan peppercorn, making it distinctly from the Sichuan region.
Serving On Its Own Or in Hot Pot
Can you believe this Little Crispy Pork is served with Sichuan hot pot? The logic of first frying the pork with batter, then putting it in hot soup is fascinating to me, but the fried coating actually allows the pork pieces to absorb all those rich, complex flavors from the hot pot broth.
We like to eat it as is—it’s tender, crispy, and full of flavor. Trust me, they don’t last long on the table once you put them out!
That said, if you’d like to try eating this with hot pot, check out our recipe for making a Sichuan Hot Pot meal at home!
Xiaosurou Recipe Instructions:
Toast the whole Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 3 – 5 minutes, until fragrant. (If your Sichuan peppercorns are very fresh and strongly fragrant, reduce to 1 tablespoon.) Then grind them in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
A Note On Sichuan PeppercornS
Sichuan peppercorns vary in quality and numbing strength. With the amount in this dish, you shouldn’t experience a strong numbing effect, just the fragrance and flavor.
Over the last several years, it’s become much easier to find fresh high-quality ones. (The Mala Market offers premium Sichuan Peppercorns in their online shop.) You should just see the outer husk of the peppercorn, without the bitter black seed. The fresher your peppercorns, the more powerful their numbing effect. If you’re using very fresh or high-quality peppercorns (they’ll be bright red and very fragrant), reduce the amount to 1 tablespoon. We call for red Sichuan peppercorns here. Do not use green Sichuan peppercorns, which are even more pungent.
In a medium bowl, combine the pork strips with the ginger, Shaoxing wine, half the ground Sichuan peppercorns, light soy sauce, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Toss everything together until the pork is evenly coated and has absorbed all the liquid. Marinate for 20-30 minutes while you prepare the batter and oil.
In a large bowl, combine the sweet potato starch, eggs, baking soda, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and the remaining ground Sichuan peppercorn. Mix until there are no lumps.
The batter will feel thick at first, but just keep stirring until the potato starch absorbs into the batter.
Fill a small, deep pot with about 2 inches (5cm) of oil. Heat it over medium-high heat until it reaches 375°F/190°C (use an instant-read thermometer). The oil will immediately cool down when you add the pork. Keep the oil temperature at about 350°F-375°F throughout the frying process.
While the oil is preheating, add the pork to the batter. Mix well until the pork pieces are evenly coated.
Lower the pork pieces one at a time into the oil. Keep a bit of space between each piece to prevent sticking. Fry in batches (do not overcrowd the pot). Turn the pieces until they float to the surface and the coating hardens and turns a light golden brown color—about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the remaining pork.
After the first fry, fry the pork for a second time (the second fry really gets them crispy). Do this in batches for 3 minutes (longer for a crunchier texture), until the pork is very crispy and a deep golden color.
Serve immediately, garnished with a little chopped scallion if desired!
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Recipe
Little Crispy Pork (Xiaosurou – 小酥肉)
Ingredients
- 1-1½ tablespoons whole red Sichuan peppercorns
- 12 ounces boneless pork loin, butt, or shoulder (cut into ½-inch x 3-inch (1x8cm) strips)
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine (or dry cooking sherry)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon salt (plus ½ teaspoon, divided)
- 2/3 cup sweet potato starch
- 2 large eggs
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- Vegetable, canola, or peanut oil (for frying)
Instructions
- Toast the whole Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 3 – 5 minutes, until fragrant. (If your Sichuan peppercorns are very fresh and strongly fragrant, reduce to 1 tablespoon) Then grind them in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
- In a medium bowl, combine the pork strips with the ginger, Shaoxing wine, half the ground Sichuan peppercorns, light soy sauce, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Toss everything together until the pork is evenly coated and has absorbed all the liquid. Marinate for 20-30 minutes while you prepare the batter and oil.
- In a large bowl, combine the sweet potato starch, eggs, baking soda, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and the remaining ground Sichuan peppercorn. Mix until there are no lumps. The batter will feel thick at first, but just keep stirring until the potato starch absorbs into the batter.
- Fill a small, deep pot with about 2 inches (5cm) of oil. Heat it over medium-high heat until it reaches 375°F/190°C (use an instant-read thermometer). The oil will immediately cool down when you add the pork. Keep the oil temperature at about 350°F-375°F throughout the frying process.
- While the oil is preheating, add the pork to the batter, and mix well until the pork pieces are evenly coated.
- Lower the pork pieces one at a time into the oil, keep a bit of space between each piece to prevent sticking. Fry in batches (do not overcrowd the pot). Turn the pieces until they float to the surface and the coating hardens and turns a light golden brown color—about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the remaining pork.
- After the first fry, fry the pork for a second time (the second fry really gets them crispy). Do this in batches for 3 minutes (longer for a crunchier texture), until the pork is very crispy and a deep golden color. Serve immediately, garnished with a little chopped scallion if desired!
