The salt-and-pepper treatment is a Cantonese technique that can be applied to give almost any meat, seafood or tofu a crunchy exterior and tongue-tingling flavor.

The protein typically is deep-fried, but in this recipe from our cookbook “ Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year ,” we opt to pan-fry pork that we first dust in cornstarch seasoned generously with Sichuan pepper, black pepper and cayenne.

The starch granules swell when they come in contact with moisture released by the pork as it cooks; as the water evaporates, the starch settles into a rigid, locked network, creating a crunchy coating.

In a classic salt-and-pepper dish, chilies and garlic are quickly fried and tossed with the cooked protein for big, bold, in-your-face flavors. We, however, finish the pork with a fresh, punchy, uncooked mix of sliced scallions, chopped cilantro, minced chilies, rice vinegar and grated ginger. The easiest way to grind the tongue-tingling Sichuan peppercorns for this recipe is in an electric spice grinder.

Don’t use thick-cut or bone-in pork chops for this recipe. Look for boneless pork loin chops that are ¼ to ½ inch thick. They sometimes are called pork cutlets. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

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Directions: