Crunchy Baked Pork Chops

Source: Cooking for Two

First of all, I continue to be THRILLED with every recipe from this cookbook. I've bought 3 cookbooks this year, and I keep turning to this one when looking for new recipes on the weekend. It hasn't disappointed me so far. I have LOVED everything I've made!

It's been a LONG time since I've made pork chops. At one point, I mentioned them and I remember my husband saying that he hated them. But, there have been a few things he has CLAIMED he hated, until I made my version...er, rather, some cookbook or online source's version. No matter! I love pork chops and the combination of ingredients seemed like they'd be really good. Plus, I've never had pork chops with any sort of breading before.

The only thing I might change for next time is to increase the egg white/mustard/flour combo by one third. I thought there wasn't enough coating for the chops. Part of that may have been the size of my egg whites - if using normal sized eggs, add an extra egg white. Then again, I lack reading comprehension and bought bone-in pork chops.

A note about pork chops: most pork chops now, because they're very lean, are injected with a solution which is meant to increase flavor and juiciness. I prefer to buy "natural" pork, which means there are NO added ingredients. To ensure the pork is juicy, dissolve 2 tablespoons of salt in one quart of cold water and let the pork chops sit in the mixture, refrigerated, for a half an hour. The result is somewhat similar to enhanced pork, but the true pork flavor is a little better. Okay, how many freaking times have I said pork in this paragraph? Porky pork pork.

Crunchy Baked Pork Chops

2 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces

1 small shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Pinch dried thyme

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 large egg whites

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless center-cut pork chops, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, sides slit (slits prevent pork from curling, cut 2 slits, 2 inches apart, on one side of the chop)

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Pulse the bread in a food processor to coarse crumbs, about 8 pulses. Toss the crumbs with the shallot, garlic, oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, then spread them on on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake the crumbs, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown and dry, about 15 minutes. Let the crumbs cool to room temperature and toss with Parmesan, parsley, and thyme.

2. Place 1/4 cup flour in a shallow dish. In a second shallow dish, whisk the egg whites and mustard together until combined, then whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons flour until almost smooth, with just a few pea-sized lumps. Spread the prepared bread crumbs in a third shallow dish.

3. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Spray a wire rack with vegetable oil spray and place over a rimmed baking sheet. Pat the chops dry with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper. (If you have previously brined the chops, season with pepper only.)

4. Using tongs, dredge the pork chops in the flour and shake off the excess. Coat the chops with the egg mixture, allowing the excess to drip off. Coat all sides of the chops with a thick layer of bread crumbs, pressing to help them adhere. Lay the breaded chops on the wire rack.

5. Bake the chops until the centers register 140 to 145 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the chops from the oven, and let rest on the rack until the centers register 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Repost

I've made this Red Beans and Rice before and I just wanted to post it again since I think it's the one recipe I've made over and over since posting it! I actually don't make rice with it, so I guess it's technically Pork and Beans. This has become my favorite not only because of its flavor, but the fact that I love to make a big batch, eat and little, and then bring the rest to work for lunch the rest of the week. I've been making an effort to eat out less and I prefer having something hot for lunch. This is very filling and tasty. Try it!

I want my baby back, baby back, baby back...

Source: The New Best Recipe

Have you ever made something, something that took a good long time, but at the end of it said, "SO WORTH IT."? This meal I had, which consisted of ribs, homemade potato salad, and corn, was SO delicious it made the hours in the kitchen worth it. The New Best Recipe never fails me, and in this instance, really blew my socks off. 

One of the best parts is the fact that you do everything in advance. As the ribs were brining, I was preparing the dry rub as well as boiling the potatoes for the salad. As the ribs cooked, I finished the salad and made the barbeque sauce. I put water on to boil the corn about 20 minutes before ribs were done. It's always so nice when you don't have anything to clean up after the meal!

We have a Rival Crock Pot BBQ Pit that my husband bought on a whim a couple of years ago. Think a really wide Crock Pot. Normally it's kind of a pain to store, being as big as it is, but it  does a great job on stuff like ribs.  Like you can see above, it comes with an insert that you can stack the ribs in, set on high for 5 hours, and have fall-of-the-bone ribs. I do like the not thinking aspect of cooking ribs with this!

Since most people probably don't have the BBQ Pit, I thought I'd post the brine as well as the dry rub for the ribs. The brine is essential to tender ribs, and the dry rub was so good you could easily go without barbeque sauce. 

Also, despite all the hype with "baby back" ribs, The New Best Recipe states loin back ribs are usually preferred because they're meatier.

Rib Brine

This brine is for 2 full racks (or 4 pounds) or baby back or loin ribs. I was making only one full rack, so I reduced the salt and sugar in half to avoid over-seasoning.

1/2 cup table salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 full racks of baby back or loin back ribs (4 pounds total)

Dissolve the salt and sugar in 4 quarts of water in a stockpot or large plastic container. Submerge the ribs in the brine and refrigerate 1 hour, until fully seasoned. Remove the ribs from the brine and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. 

Dry Rub for Barbeque

Makes about 1 cup. Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several weeks.

1/4 cup sweet paprika

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon ground white pepper

1 - 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Rub each side of the racks with 1 tablespoon of the dry rub and refrigerate the racks at least 30 minutes. Cook racks as desired.

Rice and Beans

Source: Epicurious

I saw this recipe on The Way The Cookie Crumbles, my favorite blog besides Pioneer Woman. I have actually never had rice and beans before, but it looked like good eatin'.



Only as I was preparing it did my husband say, "Hey, I used to eat this all the time in the south!" No pressure! Actually, his version was straight up red beans and rice, so this was an improvement.



I like Crumbly Cookie's version. I think 3 cans of beans would have been WAY too much as in the original recipe. I was a little bummed out when I realized my can of Old Bay seasoning was expired. I used cumin, but I think the Old Bay, or creole seasoning, would have complemented the flavors better.

I personally could have done without the rice. I never mix rice in with Chinese food when we eat it because it "dilutes" the flavor to me. I know, I'm weird.

Rice and Beans

Serves 4

8 ounces cooked sausage, such as kielbasa (I used a full pound)
1 medium onion, diced small
1 stalk celery, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Old Bay or creole seasoning
2 (15-ounce) cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth

6 cups cooked long-grain white or brown rice (from 1 cup uncooked rice)

In a 3- or 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, cook the sausage until it begins to brown and fat begins to render. Add the onions and celery/pepper/whatever and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just beginning to brown. Add the garlic and spice(s) and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beans, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and the flavors have blended, about 45 minutes. The mixture will thicken slightly after the heat is off. Serve over rice. Enjoy!

My Fly Stir Fry

Source: www.allrecipes.com

This is such a YUMMY dish. I'm a little sad for the dish, because it only has 18 reviews on All Recipes, and it deserves so much more! Let's make it happen, people! The combination of the pork with the veggies and soy/mirin/rice vinegar sauce is TO DIE FOR. I love the sauce so much, I'm sure you could omit the pork and it would be just as tasty with just the veggies, sauce, and egg noodles. The original recipe doesn't call for snow peas or egg noodles, but it's extremely versatile, so feel free to add to your taste!

My Fly Stir Fry
4 center cut pork chops, thinly sliced
1/4 cup of mirin (Japanese sweet wine, found in the Asian section)
1/4 cup of rice vinegar (also in the Asian section)
1/2 cup of mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 bunch of green onions
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
2 cups of snow peas (a couple of handfuls)
1/2 package of egg noodles

1. Set saucepan of water on stove to boil for the egg noodles. Slice pork as thinly as possible. In a medium bowl, mix pork with mirin, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Cover, and let marinate while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Slice mushrooms, green pepper, green part of green onions, and set aside. Mince white part of green onions, garlic, and ginger.

2. Heat wok or large skillet over medium heat, then coat with sesame oil. Saute minced green onion, garlic, and ginger for a couple of minutes. Increase heat to high. Squeeze marinade off pork, and place pork into wok. Reserve marinade. You should also place the egg noodles into the boiling water at this point so they're ready when the stir fry is ready.

3. Cook and stir until pork is no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, green pepper, and sliced green onion. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in reserved marinade, and cook about 2 minutes.