Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Shake & Bake (not really)!

These ain't your mamma's pork chops!  While almost as easy as the boxed original, these "breaded" chops rely on almond meal and fresh ingredients for their deliciousness. According to Jonathan Waxman, whose recipe this is adapted from, the key to these tender chops is the one hour soak in the egg mixture - so make sure to plan ahead.

INGREDIENTS
2 boneless pork chops
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Almond meal
2 large eggs
2 Tablespoons grass-fed butter
1 lemon
2 cups arugula
Few slivers of Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Crack two eggs into a small baking dish.  Add about a tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Place chops in a plastic bag or cover in plastic wrap and pound with the flat end of a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin until about 3/4" thick and then drizzle the chops in extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Give both sides of the chops a light dusting of almond meal.  Then place the chops in the egg mixture, making sure to get egg on both sides.  Allow the chops to soak for an hour.

Place arugula in a bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and add a few shavings of Parmesan cheese.  Toss to mix.
Heat two tablespoons of butter and extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter is browned.  Pour almond meal into a shallow dish or a deep plate.  Set up an "assembly line" next to your skillet with the chops in the egg mixture and the almond meal.  Take one chop at a time out of the egg mixture.  Dip both sides in the almond meal until well-coated and then place in the skillet.
Cook about four to five minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked to your desired doneness.
Plate the pork chops and top with the arugula mixture.  Finish with a squeeze of lemon and serve with your favorite veggie side dish.