Crunchy Baked Pork Chops

My simple crunchy on the outside-moist inside pork chops are normally rolled in flour, dipped in egg then coated with Panko bread crumbs before baking to a light golden finish. But I did it differently today- inspired by this monstrosity. This one didn't even go through any planning stage. I think destiny is on my side as we happen to have thick chops in the fridge suited for the dish he he he.

Crunchy Baked Pork Chops
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

Ingredients:
(double the ingredients as you prefer)

kosher salt
4 boneless center-cut pork chops
4 slices white bread, torn into small pieces
1 small shallot, minced
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup plus 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 large egg whites
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Lemon wedges

Procedures:

The first step is brining the meat- a quarter of a cup of kosher salt dissolved in a quart of water where the chops will soak for half an hour while it is "chillin" in the fridge (which is kind of crowded so I had to transfer the mix into a Ziploc bag to save space).


While the brining process is going on, it's time to make the bread crumbs. Break the bread into small pieces


Finely chop the shallots, fresh thyme, fresh flat leaf parsley and garlic


Pulse the bread in the blender


Then toss together with grated Parmesan cheese and the prepared herbs and spices


Then add canola oil and together thoroughly


Spread in a rimmed baking sheet pan and toast in the oven for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees, making sure to stir with a fork so that it is toasted evenly. Remove from the oven (do not turn it off)and set aside to cool completely.


We are now ready to prepare the chops. But first, remove the chops from the brining solution and rinse well with cold water. Drain excess water and pat dry with paper towels.


Sprinkle ground pepper on both sides- set aside.


Whisk together egg whites and Dijon mustard in a bowl


Add the remaining flour and mix together


Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place in rimmed baking sheet. Prepare these three: all-purpose flour for dredging; egg white/Dijon mustard mix for dipping and bread crumbs for coating.


Dredge 1 pork chop in flour; shake off excess.


Using tongs or forks, coat with egg mixture; let excess drip off. Coat all sides of chop with bread crumb mixture, pressing gently so that thick layer of crumbs adheres to chop. Transfer breaded chop to wire rack. Repeat with remaining chops.

Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chops registers 150 degrees, 17 to 25 minutes. Let rest on rack 5 minutes before serving with lemon wedges.

There you go, thick juicy and tender chops wrapped with a crunchy and tasty shell. I have friends who think I’m crazy to go through all this when I could just use store-bought seasoned bread crumbs and lessen the procedure some steps. But the recipe calls for it and I want to try it too. There is an easier route but I like the challenge of making everything from scratch. I will make these again, why not? So I have an alternative to my regular Panko crusted chops. These chops are good but I know the next ones will be even better.