Quick & Crunchy Baked Pork Chops
Source of Recipe
Cook's country
Recipe Introduction
Bread-crumb-coated pork chops, aka Shake 'N Bake chops, are a weeknight staple in many households. They may be quick and easy to prepare, but they rarely turn out as pretty as the picture on the box. The crumb coating is typically gummy and bland, seasoned with little more than salt and dusty dried herbs. For our homemade version, we wanted two things above all: good flavor and a thick, crunchy crust. To achieve this, we made our own crumbs and seasoned them liberally, then adhered them to the chops using an unexpected ingredient that you already have in your refrigerator.
For a substantial crust, don't break up the Melba toasts too much, and coat the chops well with mayonnaise. Although an instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out of determining when the meat is done, you can use the "nick-and-peek" method: Use a paring knife to make a slit in the top of the pork chop and take a look at the meat's interior. The Melba crumbs can be made weeks in advance and stored in the freezer. Applesauce is a natural with these chops.
Serves 4
List of Ingredients
1 (5-ounce) box Melba toast , broken into rough pieces
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon sugar
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 center-cut boneless pork chops , 3/4 inch to 1 inch thick (each 6 to 7 ounces), patted dry with paper towels Recipe
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.
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