Shake 'n Bake didn't help: Quick & Crunchy Pork Chops

Growing up, the only way I ever ate pork chips was breaded with Shake 'n Bake. Now that I cook for a family, I'm happy I've learned three other, better ways to prepare pork chops: breaded with a maple-Dijon mustard sauce and in a Crock-Pot with a ranch-chicken gravy.

I found this breaded pork chop recipe more than 10 years ago when I was perfecting my home-cooking. I've said before I've learned a lot from Cook's Country magazine. That's where I got this recipe. And for the past few years, I had misplaced my copy of the magazine with this recipe in it. I found it! And before I lose it again, I'm blogging it. Preserving my favorite recipes somewhere I can easily access them is a main reason why I blog.

I couldn't find Melba toast the first time I made this so I substituted just-as-crunchy-but-more-flavorful garlic bagel chips. You can cut back on the garlic powder if you make this substitution.

QUICK AND CRUNCHY PORK CHOPS
1 (5-ounce) box Melba toast, broken into rough pieces – I use garlic bagel chips
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon dried thyme
⅛ teaspoon sugar
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 center-cut boneless pork chops, ¾ inch to 1 inch thick (each 6 to 7 ounces), patted dry with paper towels

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Place Melba toast pieces, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, and sugar in heavy-duty zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag and pound with heavy blunt object (such as a rolling pin) until Melba toasts are crushed but still have some crumbs the size of small pebbles. Add 2 tablespoons mayonnaise to bag and work mayonnaise evenly into crumb mixture by gently squeezing outside of bag. Transfer Melba crumb mixture to large plate.

Using your fingers, coat 1 chop with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise. Transfer to plate with Melba crumbs, sprinkle top of pork chop with some Melba mixture, and press down firmly on chop to adhere crumbs. Flip chop and repeat, making sure that thick layer of crumbs coats both sides and edges. Transfer breaded pork chop to baking rack set over rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chops.

Bake pork chops until juices run clear and instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chop registers 145 to 150 degrees, 16 to 22 minutes. Remove chops from oven and let rest on rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Source: Cook's Country magazine

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Family cooking contest reinvents hot dogs

Image
I'm fortunate to be virtual friends with today's guest blogger, Kara Glenn, because we share a love of food. I ogled her photos of Thanksgiving dinner one year and sent her a Facebook friend request for that reason (though I had met her in person when we worked for the same company years ago.) And I'm excited to share with you the cooking contests her family holds. Without further delay, meet Kara. Kara Glenn lives in Morgantown with her husband Trevor and Golden Retriever Kelsey. She currently works for the Department of Energy doing design work, and enjoys cooking, reading (mostly Harry Potter), blogging, gaming with her husband and spending time with her family. Here's her story of a recent family get-together over Columbus Day. One of my family's favorite activities is eating. OK, actually it's our favorite. My mom went to culinary school in New Orleans, and good food has always been the centerpiece of our gatherings. With the growing popularity of the Food
Read more

Farewell, My Hero (Burger)

One of my guilty pleasures -- the Hero Burger -- is gone from the market. A Hero Burger is two hamburger patties on a six-inch hero sandwich bun, topped with grilled salami and ham, cheese, mayo, lettuce and tomato and grilled onions if you wish. Late this summer I noticed that the Dairy Mart in my town became a Mountaineer Mart. Throughout the fall more Dairy Marts and All Star Expresses in my area became Circle K convenience stores. The Hero Hut sandwich stations in them closed. Finally this week I noticed that the standalone Hero Hut restaurant in Sabraton has also shuttered. Chico Enterprises sold 26 stores to Circle K and at least one to Mountaineer Mart. From now on, I will only get Hero Hut's signature sandwich, my guilty pleasure -- a Hero Burger -- if I make it myself and then it doesn't taste quite the same. Hero Huts have been around since my childhood, if not before. I'm sad to see them go.
Read more

Old-fashioned candy: January Thaw

Image
Among my fondest memories of growing up in an Appalachian holler is the food, specifically the sweets. Late last year, foodie trend watchers predicted old-fashioned candy is going to be hot this year. I have yet to see Google return this recipe in response to my request for "old-fashioned candy." Trust me, it's a goodie. As a kid, I never gave much thought to why January Thaw was called that -- we sometimes made it in months other than January -- but a Web site that printed a recipe similar to my mom's says it’s because it looks like muddy slush. I assure you it's much tastier. And as the foot or so of snow outside my house has melted this week, the candy doesn't much resemble what's in my yard. Nor does the batch I made tonight exactly match what I remember from 25 years ago. I chalk that up to ingredients and technique and I'll throw in different elevation for good measure. While not "perfect", it's still pretty good -- who could find f
Read more