Baked Breaded Pork Chops

Remember when I nearly killed my poor little pork chops with an overzealous broiler?  Nope.  Neither do I.  The tragic memory will probably resurface some day in a dream brought on by too much late-night snacking, but for now I've blocked out the memories of charred meat in favor of beautiful golden pineapple and mouth-watering tropical sauce. 

Oh, and a couple days later I actually did make some pork chops that turned out like they were supposed to.  They're simple, basically foolproof, and would taste great with pretty much anything on the side.  The recipe comes from The Best 30-Minute Recipe by the editors of Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen.  (I foresee more than one blog post inspired by this cookbook!)

I made a couple small changes to the original recipe.  First, I used saltine crackers in place of Melba toast.  I'm sure the Melba toast would taste even better, but I didn't want to go out and buy any, and the saltines ended up tasting fine.  Second, the recipe called for boneless, center-cut pork chops (1 inch thick), but I used the bone-in pork chops from the co-op instead.  Since they're huge, I cut each one in half (you should get six servings out of each package).

P.S.  You can get the recipe for the delicious salad I made as a side here; unfortunately, it uses too many unusual ingredients to deserve a whole post.  I substituted regular shredded mozzarella for the smoked mozzarella; otherwise I made the recipe as written.  Be forewarned that it makes a huge batch; you might want to make a half recipe unless you're cooking for the whole neighborhood.

Baked Breaded Pork Chops
Serves 4
Time:  30-35 minutes

5 ounces crushed saltine crackers (about 1 1/4 sleeves)
salt and ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/8 tsp. sugar
6 T. mayonnaise, divided
4 pork chops (see note above)

Preheat oven to 425 F.  Mix crackers, 1/2 tsp. salt, and next 5 ingredients (through sugar) in shallow dish.  Add 2 T. mayonnaise and work evenly into crumbs.

Pat chops dry with paper towels; trim off excess fat and season with salt and pepper.  Cover chops completely with remaining 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I used my fingers to work it in a little), then cover thoroughly with cracker mixture (including sides).  Press on crumbs to make sure they adhere.  Transfer breaded chops to a wire rack set on rimmed baking sheet (this keeps them from getting soggy and/or burned on the bottom).

Bake until coating is golden brown and centers of chops register 140 degrees, 18 to 22 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest until centers of chops reach 150 degrees before serving, 5 to 10 minutes.

Pork Chops with Pineapple

Yes, I know this is an old post, but I cooked these again this week and this time took a picture!  My favorite cookbooks are ones that have a picture to match every single recipe, and I don't think blogs are really any different.

I should also note that the creative use of cropping in this photo is, in fact, my pathetic attempt to hide some pretty disturbing third-degree burns suffered by my poor little pork chop.  I'm still trying to figure out how to cook pork.  Give me a break.

This is probably my favorite pork chop recipe, because 1. it's perfect for grilling in the summer and still great for broiling in the winter; 2. it tastes Asian and tropical at the same time, but isn't supposed to be either; 3. it reminds me of when my mom used to make it for us as kids; and 4. (best of all) it uses almost all co-op ingredients!  I usually broil the meat, but you can grill it too.  If you can't find sliced pineapple, the canned chunks are okay, but you might want to put them on skewers (especially for grilling).

Pork Chops with Pineapple
Serves 4-6
Begin 3-1/2 hours in advance (or night before)

1/2 cup Italian dressing
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 T. soy sauce
4-6 pork chops (about 2 lbs.)
1 can sliced pineapple
hot cooked rice

In a large bowl, combine first four ingredients.  Add chops; turn to coat.  Cover; marinate in refrigerator, turning occasionally, 3 hours or overnight.  Remove chops; bring marinade to a boil.  Grill or broil chops, basting with marinade, until juices run clear (cut into thickest part of meat).  Meanwhile, grill or broil pineapple brushed with marinade until golden.  Bring remaining marinade to a boil; serve as sauce over chops and hot rice.