Angela DealeGrilled five-spice pork chops
Wu Xing is the Chinese philosophy of five elements, which governs the behaviours and relationships in disciplines such as medicine, and concepts such as astrology and feng shui. For example, in Chinese tradition, there are five cardinal directions ('centre' is a direction), and one's 60th birthday is significant because it means one has lived through five astrological cycles (there are 12 signs in the Chinese zodiac, e.g., the year of the snake comes every 12 years).
Wu Xing is also an important concept in cooking. Five spice powder, or simply "five spice", is a well-known ingredient in Chinese cuisine. It's a spice blend that comprises the five flavours of sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, and salty. Five spice is not commonly used in everyday cooking, but it is a pantry staple in many a Chinese household. Blends may vary (for example, the five spice I use and the kind my dad uses have slightly different colouring and aroma; cloves seem to be more prominent in his brand). According to wikipedia, the most common mixture is composed of bajiao (star anise), cloves, Chinese cinnamon, huajiao (Sichuan pepper) and ground fennel seeds. As a result, five spice has a strong and distinctive flavour, so you don't have to use too much--a little goes a long way.
Five spice is usually paired with meat, especially pork--the most important meat in Chinese cuisine. My husband and son love pork chops, so I sometimes use a five-spice marinade for grilled pork. It's good with rice and vegetables. We find this works well with the BBQ, or if you're cooking indoors, a clamshell-type grill.
You should be able to find five spice in any Chinese or Asian grocery store, or possibly in the international foods aisle at the regular grocery store.
Ingredients
Wu Xing is also an important concept in cooking. Five spice powder, or simply "five spice", is a well-known ingredient in Chinese cuisine. It's a spice blend that comprises the five flavours of sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, and salty. Five spice is not commonly used in everyday cooking, but it is a pantry staple in many a Chinese household. Blends may vary (for example, the five spice I use and the kind my dad uses have slightly different colouring and aroma; cloves seem to be more prominent in his brand). According to wikipedia, the most common mixture is composed of bajiao (star anise), cloves, Chinese cinnamon, huajiao (Sichuan pepper) and ground fennel seeds. As a result, five spice has a strong and distinctive flavour, so you don't have to use too much--a little goes a long way.
Five spice is usually paired with meat, especially pork--the most important meat in Chinese cuisine. My husband and son love pork chops, so I sometimes use a five-spice marinade for grilled pork. It's good with rice and vegetables. We find this works well with the BBQ, or if you're cooking indoors, a clamshell-type grill.
You should be able to find five spice in any Chinese or Asian grocery store, or possibly in the international foods aisle at the regular grocery store.
Grilled five spice pork chop
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp sambal oelek (or substitute other kind of Asian chili sauce)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 2 level tsp five-spice powder
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- green onions, chopped (optional)
- 4 pork chops
- In a bowl, make marinade. Mix everything except the last two items. Make sure any chunks of brown sugar are broken up.
- Coat chops in the marinade. Marinate for at least four hours, refrigerated, in a covered container. (Overnight is best.) Turn the chops every so often.
- Grill chops over medium heat, turning once, for about 4-5 minutes per side. (Time varies according to thickness and desired doneness.) While cooking, cccasionally brush remaining marinade on the chops.
- Serve chops with green onion strewn on top.
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