Right now we are plunged into darkness before I can get dinner on the table every night. After my photos were rejected over and over again I decided that no matter what I do with lighting at home, it is near impossible for me to take a quality photograph without natural light. Therefore, until the days get longer, I will be taking all of my photos the next day during my lunch break. When dinner is really good (and in limited supply) there is a chance that it will not make it to its photo shoot the following day. Unfortunately for our readers, the pork chops were delicious and my daughter ate what was earmarked for pictures.
On another sad note, I crashed the website yesterday while trying to add photos and update the weekly menu post! So I’m not entirely sad that this post will be without the large data files that reduced Only From Scratch to a massive error message yesterday. Have I provided you with enough excuses for the lack of pictures?
We get home grocery delivery every week (keep coming back and eventually you’ll figure out my disdain for all things shopping related). This week they brought me razor thin boneless pork chops. This is a far cry from the bone in pork chops that I requested, but the beauty of that substitution was that dinner would be ready in no time.
This is an easy, flavorful, basic pork chop recipe that can be adapted and should make Shake and Bake obsolete in your house. Like the concept of Shake and Bake? Combine the bread crumbs and cheese in a gallon ziplock bag. Dip the pork in the egg mixture and then toss in the bag. Shake it up and transfer to the pan for browning.
Our pork chops were very thin and resembled scaloppini when they were done. The crust was a rich golden brown color and the meat remained very tender. Because these were so thin, the pork cooked up in under five minutes and we did not need to transfer to the oven. I have used thicker chops in the past and finishing them in the oven prevents the crust from burning and yields a perfectly cooked pork. Remember you don’t have to cook the crap out of it! Pork needs to reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).
Don’t forget to season the meat before you bread it. Pay close attention to it while you fry the meat to avoid burning it. We served it with mashed potatoes and corn. This looked a little drab on the plate so if you’re going for visual appeal, add some spinach or broccoli as a side. No matter what you serve it with, this is sure to disappear in no time!
- 1 pound of bone-in pork chops
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Combine bread crumbs and cheese in a shallow bowl.
- In another shallow bowl, beat one egg and water together until well combined
- Season the pork generously with salt and pepper
- Dip the pork chop in the egg mixture and then dredge in the bread crumb mixture until well coated. Repeat until all pork chops are breaded.
- In an oven safe pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Remove the garlic to avoid burning.
- Brown the pork on both sides in the garlic infused oil.
- Once browned, transfer the pan to the oven and bake at 325 degree F until done. Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the pork chops.
- Remember to only put pans in the oven that are oven safe! If you do not have an oven safe pan transfer the pork and oil to a glass baking dish before finishing the cooking process.
