Best for: A weeknight chop with a Cantonese accent.
Five-spice powder — star anise, clove, cinnamon, fennel, and Sichuan pepper — turns a plain pork chop into something that tastes like it came off a barbecue-shop hook. A short soy-and-wine marinade, a hard sear, and a proper rest are all it takes.
Grill: Direct medium-high heat; 425°F, with a cooler zone. Equipment: Grill, tongs, instant-read thermometer.
Ingredients
Marinate: 1 hour. Rest: 5 minutes. Total: 1 hour 29 minutes.
- 4 bone-in pork chops, about 1 inch thick (about 2 lb total)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil, plus more for the grate
- 2 teaspoons five-spice powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1/2 teaspoon fine table salt
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
Directions
Whisk the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, neutral oil, five-spice powder, sugar, garlic, and salt. Coat the chops, cover, and marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
Heat the grill to 425°F with a cooler zone. Pat the chops mostly dry so they sear instead of steam.
Grill the chops over direct heat for 5–6 minutes per side, until deeply browned with a caramelized crust, moving them to the cooler zone if the sugar flares.
Cook until the chops register 145°F at the thickest point, away from the bone.
Rest for 5 minutes — the juices settle and the crust stays crisp.
Scatter with the scallions and serve whole or sliced.
Grilling tip: Sugar in a marinade means flare-ups; keep a cooler zone open and treat moving the chops as part of the cooking, not a rescue.
