A Giada De Laurentiis Pork Chop Recipe My Wife Says Is "A Keeper"

I was scrounging around for something to fix for dinner the other night. I had neither the time nor the energy to hit the produce market, the meat market, or the grocery store -- even though none are more than five minutes from home. Lazy, huh?

So I took a look in the freezer and found some wonderful pork chops and then skimmed through my collezione di ricette to find something delicious to do with them. This slight modification of a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis was definitely it. My wife paused her eating only long enough to pronounce it "a keeper" before renewing her membership in the "clean plate club."

COSTOLETTE DI MAIALE PARMIGIANO-CROSTOSO
(Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops)

2 large eggs
1 cup panko bread crumbs, seasoned with Italian seasoning
3/4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 oz)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
     Lemon wedges, for garnish

Set up a 3-pan breading station. (I actually have a 3-pan breading station. If you don't, use pie plates or shallow dishes.) Whisk the eggs lightly, to blend, in one pan. Place the seasoned bread crumbs in another pan. Place the cheese in the third pan. Season the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Dredge the chops in the cheese first, making sure to coat them completely and patting to adhere. Then dip the chops into the eggs, then finally coat them completely with the bread crumbs, again patting to adhere.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150°, about 6 minutes per side.

Transfer the chops to plates and serve garnished with lemon wedges.

Serves 4

I served these with a side of herbed oven-roasted potatoes and some sugar snap peas (one of my wife's favorites.) A nice Merlot rounded out a perfect meal.

Buon appetito!