OVEN BAKED PORK CHOPS

“Put pork on your fork” has been one of the most successful campaigns to make Australians buy and cook pork. Contrary to many peoples’ beliefs pork is one leanest and affordable meats you can find. Australian pork has a unique and delicious flavour and doesn’t need to be overcooked.

Ingredients

• 4 pork chops
• 2 cups soft bread crumbs
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• 1 cup arugula leaves
• 2 tomatoes, diced small

Method for the Pork Chops

• Place each pork chop on a cutting board and cover it with cling film. Do not trim the excess fat yet or remove the bone.
• With a pounder, pound the meat extending from the bone to an even thickness. Now trim the excess fat but leave the bone.

• Marinate the pork chops overnight in olive oil, salt and half of the minced garlic.

• Next day spread the bread crumbs on a plate.
• Lightly beat the eggs with the rest of the minced garlic, parsley, salt and pepper to taste in a wide dish.
• Soak the pork chops in the egg mixture, turning to thoroughly drench both sides.
• Transfer the pork chops to the bread crumbs and turn to coat both sides. Wipe the crumbs off the ends of the bones.

• Place the pork chops in the refrigerator for at least an hour. I find that when I bread crumb any meat, the bread crumbs hold better when they have rested in the refrigerator for a while.
• Preheat the oven to 180C.
• Place the pork chops on an oven tray lined with wax paper.
• Cook the pork chops for 30 to 40 minutes depending on their size. Turn them once while they are cooking.
• In a small bowl combine the arugula with salt and bit of vinegar . Set aside until ready to serve.
• Serve the pork chops on serving plates and top them with the arugula mixture, then spoon the diced tomatoes on top, season them with salt and pepper and drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil.

Tips

• Pork generally needs salt. Be generous when you are seasoning the pork chops, the salt brings out the juices and flavour of the pork.
• I like to roll my pork chops in a bit of flour first when I cook them in the oven. But if I am deep frying them, I do not because the breading will come off when frying and they won’t be crispy.
• Most of the time I cook these pork chops in the oven because once they are done they are golden brown and super juicy inside.

When I panfry the pork chops I use clarified butter. Clarified butter has a very high smoke point, therefore it does not burn the breadcrumbs before the meat is cooked.