As much as I love crispy, golden-brown chicken cutlets, I also enjoy panko-crusted pork chops. I grew up on pork chops, and although we were served ours with a side dish of potatoes and a green veggie, I like to serve mine topped with a mixture of giardiniera and cherry tomatoes along with a crisp green salad.
What is Giardiniera? It is pickled vegetables and often a medley of chopped vegetables, most commonly cauliflower, carrots, bell peppers, celery, and chile peppers, all mixed together and preserved in a two-step process. First, it’s pickled in vinegar, and then it’s marinated in olive oil. You can buy giardiniera in most Italian specialty stores, and it is sold either mild or spicy. We prefer the spicy version but feel free to use the mild version if you like.
Deborah Mele
Ingredients
- 2 Pork Chops (9–10-oz. each)
- 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- â…“ cup Finely Grated Parmesan
- ¾ TeaspoonFreshly Ground Black Pepper
- ½ Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ½ tsp. Salt
- ¼ Cup All-purpose flour
- 1 Large Egg
- ¼ Cup Extra-virgin Olive Oil, Divided
Giardiniera Relish To Serve:
- 1/2 Cup Giardiniera Hot or Mild
- 1/2 Cup Ripe Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
Instructions
- Make the relish by mixing the giardiniera and tomatoes together with the olive oil.
- Stir, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- To make the pork chops, transfer the pork chops to a large ziplock plastic bag.
- Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound the chop to equal thickness of about 1-inch thick.
- In a wide bowl, add the panko, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, oregano, and salt and mix well.
- Sprinkle the flour over a large plate and season with salt.
- In a separate wide bowl, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt.
- Working with one chop at a time, dredge the pork in the flour, followed by the egg mixture, and finally the panko mixture, packing the crumbs onto the pork to adhere.
- In a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil.
- When the oil is hot, add the pork and cook, flipping once, until crispy, golden, and cooked through, 4–5 minutes per side.
- Transfer to a serving platter and top each chop with ¼ cup giardiniera.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 1073Total Fat: 68gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 47gCholesterol: 239mgSodium: 1549mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 57g