Sunday, February 27, 2011

Pan Fried Pork Chops (for Callie)

This recipe is my favorite recipe and I've been making them since I was in high school.
The key to juicy pork chops is searing them pretty good, and slow cooking them at the same time.
And most of all, using the thick cuts. Thin cuts are worthless in my opinion and turn into leather. Get the on the bone chops too if you can. The fat on the bone really helps keep things moist and tender.
This recipe does have a bread crumb crust but there's not enough to really make it shoot your blood sugar up if you are diabetic. I've personally never had a problem, especially if I balance it out with steamed vegetables or something non carb.

First you will want 4-5 good sized pork chops. Here's a pic of what you are looking for.

Crack a couple of eggs onto a flat plate and scramble them til the yolk blends with the whites.
sprinkle a little salt and pepper on each side of the pork chops and get a nice sized flat pan ready with a cap full of canola or olive oil.
You don't need a large amount of oil to make a nice crunchy fry on these, I promise!
If you have a paper plate or a regular one (paper is easier and disposable so less mess), dump a cup or so of bread crumbs onto the plate. I use this kind of bread crumb because I like the herbs infused in it. But you can use anything and add fresh herbs if you want.

If you have a food processor or chopper, chop about 1/2 cup of nuts of your choice. I like to use almonds, or   cashews, but you can use walnuts, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, etc. Anything works.
Do a rough grind/chop so it looks like this:

Add the nuts into the bread crumbs and give it a good hand stir so its blended.
Now soak the chops in the egg wash. You don't have to marinate them. I usually just slap it in the egg on each side and move on to the bread crumbs.

Now move onto the crumbs. You can lightly coat them on each side, or turn them on each side, press into the crumb mix, and keep doing it until there's a nice thick coating. Whatever you feel will work, go for it!

Make sure the oil in the pan is hot, and swirl it around to coat.
When you are sure the oil is hot, drop the chops into the pan and let em cook for about 5-10 min on one side.
Do not flip them over until the chops are browned.
When they are ready to turn them over, turn them, and add a few flicks of water from your hand and cover them. This is where the insides will steam and get juicy.
Cook a good 5-7 minutes and uncover them.
Now you are safe to turn them over a few times without them drying out.
Turn again, until the outsides crisp up, and when all is said and done, they should look like this:
You will know they are ready, when you poke them with a knife and you see no blood/red tinge in the juice.
When you are making the breadcrumb mixture, you can add things for different tastes. I've been known to use wasabi powder, cayenne, paprika, or fresh chopped herbs. This is another recipe you can doctor up and do what you like. It's all about taste and experimentation.
Also when you are cooking, if the chops appear dry on the outside, drizzle another cap full of olive oil or canola oil into the pan and move them around so they soak a little up.
I usually throw the egg away, but you can save them, scramble em and give em to a dog or cat :)
You can also do this without the bone but I'm a major carnivore and like to chew on the bone after.
I hope you enjoy this :)

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