Crispy Pan-Fried Pork Chops

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(from Bethany’s recipe box)

Serves 4
We prefer natural to enhanced pork (pork that has been injected with a salt solution to increase moistness and flavor) for this recipe. Don’t let the chops drain on the paper towels for longer than 30 seconds, or the heat will steam the crust and make it soggy. You can substitute ¾ cup of store-bought cornflake crumbs for the whole cornflakes. If using crumbs, omit the processing step and mix the crumbs with the cornstarch, salt, and pepper.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
A breaded coating can be just the thing to give lean, bland pork chops a flavor boost—but not when it turns gummy and flakes off the meat. Using boneless chops was fast and easy. Cornstarch formed an ultra-crisp sheath. Buttermilk brought a lighter texture and tangy flavor to the breading, and minced garlic and mustard perked up the breading’s flavor. Crushed cornflakes added a craggy texture to the pork chops, especially once we added cornstarch to them before dredging the meat. Finally, to ensure our breading adhered to the chops, we gave the meat a short rest and we lightly scored the pork chops before adding them to the pan.

Source: America's Test Kitchen Season 12: Shake and Bake Reinvented

Categories: Meat

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup cornstarch
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
  • 3 cups cornflakes (see note)
  • Table salt and ground black pepper
  • 8 center-cut boneless pork chops (3 to 4 ounces each), 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick (see note)
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • Lemon wedges

Directions

  1. Place 1/3 cup cornstarch in shallow dish or pie plate. In second shallow dish, whisk buttermilk, -mustard, and garlic until combined. Process cornflakes, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and remaining 1/3 cup cornstarch in food processor until cornflakes are finely ground, about 10 seconds. Transfer cornflake mixture to third shallow dish.

  2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. With sharp knife, cut 1/16-inch-deep slits on both sides of chops, spaced ½ inch apart, in crosshatch pattern. Season chops liberally with salt and pepper. Dredge 1 chop in cornstarch; shake off excess. Using tongs, coat with buttermilk mixture; let excess drip off. Coat with cornflake mixture; gently pat off excess. Transfer coated chop to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and repeat with remaining chops. Let coated chops stand 10 minutes.

  3. Heat 1/3 cup oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place 4 chops in skillet and cook until golden brown and crispy, 2 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip chops and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, crispy, and center of chop registers 140 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 2 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer chops to paper towel-lined plate and let drain 30 seconds on each side. Transfer to clean wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet, then transfer to oven to keep warm. Discard oil in skillet and wipe clean with paper towels. Repeat process with remaining oil and pork chops. Serve with lemon wedges.

  4. TECHNIQUE – WHERE BREADED COATINGS GO WRONG The components of a traditional breading—flour, beaten egg, and bread crumbs—present special challenges when applied to juicy pork chops. Here’s how we ensured a crust that stays put and packs plenty of crunch. PROBLEM: Gummy patches under the coating SOLUTION: We swap flour—the usual breading base coat—for cornstarch. Unlike flour, cornstarch contains no protein, so it cooks up lighter and crispier. PROBLEM: Breading pulls away SOLUTION: Instead of the typical egg wash, which puffs up when cooked and contributes to a heavier coating that can pull away from the meat, we use buttermilk as the second layer. It makes for a lighter shell that clings nicely to the chops. PROBLEM: Soggy bread-crumb crust SOLUTION: For an ultra-crunchy exterior, we ditch porous bread crumbs, which absorb too much moisture from the pork and never crisp up. Instead, we combine cornflakes (engineered to retain their crunch in liquid) with cornstarch, which forms a brittle sheath when heated.

  5. TECHNIQUE – GETTING A BETTER GRIP Besides rethinking the ingredients in our coating, we came up with two other quick tricks to make sure the breading stays glued to the chop. SCORE Making shallow cuts in the chops’ surface releases juices and sticky meat proteins that dampen the cornstarch and help the coating adhere. REST Letting the chops sit for 10 minutes after coating gives the cornstarch more time to absorb liquid and turn into an adhesive paste.

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