Golden Pork Cutlets

I'm back!!! You might be wondering where I went, since I have still been with all of you. Well, I haven't gone anywhere fancy, but I did move to a new house, and due to some utility related complications (no gas, and a gas oven) I hadn't cooked or baked anything in 5 days (I think that might be a record). But, all is fixed, and I'm delighted to be back in the kitchen. I missed it, a lot. I was so happy standing at my new oven last night, mostly because I was delighted to be cooking, but also because my new oven is so much easier to clean than the old one (that's me thinking ahead to after dinner) and because it has a griddle pan in the center, which I obviously had to use immedietely. I am dreaming of pancake weekends, but until then, delicious dinners. So what did I make my first night back in action? Nothing to difficult (you have to ease back into it), but it had to be delectable and fun, it also had to use up the limited supplies I had left (don't worry, I have since replenished). So I decided to bread up some pork chops, healthy style (summer is a round the corner), and bake some of my mom's amazing brussels sprouts (sea salt, pepper, olive oil, bake at 425 until charred and delicious, about 20 minutes, how's that for an easy recipe?). I am so happy to be back in the kitchen, and happy to report that these pork chops were prounced amazing by the boyfriend (who I didn't mention the healthy thing too), he ate three and didn't want to share the last bite. Enjoy!

Pork Cutlets:
2 boneless, center cut pork chops
1/4 cup of whole wheat flour
1/4 cup of liquid egg whites (or 3 egg whites, or 1 egg)
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1/2 tsp of chili powder
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper
1/2 tsp of paprika
1/2 tsp of onion powder
1 tbsp of sunflower oil (or canola or vegetable)

Pound the pork chops with a meat mallet until they are about 1/4 inch thick. Cut them down the center so you have 4 roughly equal chops. Scoop the flour onto a small plate. Pour the egg whites into a bowl and beat lightly. Add the bread crumbs to another bowl. In a small bowl mix together all of the spices. Divide the mixture evenly between the flour and the bread crumbs and stir each to combine. Heat a grill/griddle pan or a large skillet with the oil over medium-high heat. To bread the chops, place two chops at a time in the flour, then flip to coat the other side. Submerge them in the egg mixture on both sides, then transfer them to the bread crumbs, make sure the chops are fully coated with bread crumbs before transfering to the pan. Repeat with the remaining chops. Cook until golden brown on one side, about 4 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, until both sides are brown and pork chops are cooked through. Adjust the temperature as necessary to prevent burning.

Happy Eating.

Truffled Pork Chops

Truffle oil makes anything decadent. It is an instant shot of richness and exoticness to something that would otherwise be everyday. Every time I eat it, I love it a little more. Until this recipe, I had never cooked bone in pork chops, I had also never eaten them. I am fairly new to the eating of pork products, but I have become slightly obsessed with the other white meat. These were a flavor explosion, the truffle oil makes them so incredible rich, and combined with the light flavor of the sherry, absolutely wonderful. I served these chops with some spicy asparagus, which I first shared in my I love read meat post, they are so simply and wonderful, line up the asparagus and salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, drizzle with olive oil (or chipotle olive oil, if you are lucky enough to have found a bottle somewhere) and roast or broil until tender and slightly crispy. They can be done at almost any temperature, so they are the perfect side dish to any meal.



Truffled Pork Chops:
2 bone in pork-chops, 1/2 inch thick
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of ground coriander
salt, pepper
1/8 cup of sherry
1 tsp of truffle oil

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large pan. Salt and pepper the the pork chops on both sides. Sprinkle with coriander and rub into the meat. When the pan is hot, place the chops into the pan and allow to cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Flip over and cook for 2 minutes. Add the sherry and continue cooking until pork chops are cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, drizzle with truffle oil and let rest a few minutes before serving.

Happy Eating.

Fancy Sauce

Yesterday I was cranky. Very cranky. So what could possibly cheer me up more than whipping up something amazingly delicious, and overly fancy for a lovely Sunday night dinner. Instantly, duck popped into my head, so I went to the store to find some. Unfortunately, they only had frozen duck, so that adventure will have to be continued on Thursday night, when the Duck defrosts and is ready to be roasted. So I took a lap around the store and thought, and thought and then I decided, pork chops with mushroom sauce and mashed potatoes, perfect! As expected, the delicious dinner cheered me up, as soon as the sherry hit the pan...

Mashed Potatoes
5-6 medium red potatoes, washed and cubed
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tbsp of butter
A little bit of water (if necessary)
Salt, Pepper

Boil the potatoes and garlic until potatoes are tender, drain liquid and and add butter and sour cream. Mash together and if dry and a little water to moisten. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pork Chops and Mushroom Sauce.
2 thick cut boneless pork chops
1 package of gourmet blend mushrooms
1 shallot
1 clove of garlic
3/4 cup of chicken stock
1/4 cup of dry sherry
1 tbsp of butter, plus a little more
1 to 2 tbsp of flour.
Salt, Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cover a cooking sheet in tinfoil and spray with non-stick spray, set aside. Butter the bottom of the skillet so that it is just covered. Salt and pepper the pork chops on both sides. Place pork chops in the hot skillet and brown for about 3-4 minutes, flip and repeat. Place pork chops on the prepared cooking sheet and cook for approximately 15 minutes, time will vary based on the thickness of the chops. In the meantime lower the heat on the skillet to medium and dice the shallots and the garlic. Add the shallots, garlic, mushrooms and chicken stock to the pan, bring to a simmer. Add the sherry. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. When the mushrooms are almost done, reduce heat to low and whisk in butter and flour to thicken sauce. Continue whisking until sauce has thickened. Salt and pepper to taste (you shouldn't need a lot). Serve on the side or on top of the chops. The sauce also tastes great on the mashed potatoes.

Happy Eating.