This very simple recipe can be altered a thousand ways to suit either the season or your individual tastes. It’s quick to make, hands-on time is only 5 minutes or so, making it ideal for an impromptu weeknight dinner party or just a simple yummy treat for two.
Pork is being raised to be leaner, so keeping it moist and juicy is the key challenge. For this recipe, I like to use bone-in center cut pork chops but really you can substitute your personal favorite as well. I usually allow for a few extra chops in addition to the one per person, even so, they always seem to disappear!
You can serve this with some al dente broccoli drizzled with olive oil, salt, and freshly ground pepper.
Ingredients:
serves 4 (can easily be scaled up or down)
- 4 Pork chops bone-in center cut; one inch thick
- 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (in a low shallow bowl)
- 2 eggs beaten (low shallow bowl)
- Herbs for seasoning bread crumbs (Italian herb mix, or rosemary or thyme)
- Olive oil for saut̩ing
- Salt and pepper
Trim any excess fat from chops, then dip into egg and coat all sides.
Mix herbs, salt, and pepper into the breadcrumbs and add the pork chops and coat them one at a time with the breadcrumbs.
Heat a large heavy saut̩ pan (oven proof) over medium heat. Add olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot add the pork chops and saut̩ until nicely browned and then turn over and brown second side. (About 5 minutes total) Put the pan into a preheated 350* oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes.
If you’re not using an oven proof pan, simply transfer the chops to an oiled baking sheet or pan.
**There are endless variations to this recipe. Some of my personal favorites are as follow:
In the winter I dip them in pure maple syrup instead of the egg and then coat with breadcrumbs-delicious! Or you can, dip the chops in a mixture of Dijon mustard and melted butter and then coat with breadcrumbs.
**For both the maple syrup and the Dijon variations I don’t sauté the chops first, I place them on an oiled baking sheet and pop them right in the oven. You can skip the sauté step in the original recipe too if pressed for time and they are still delicious! I serve all the variations with a little scoop of unsweetened applesauce that is now widely available in single serving cups.
And there you have it.