Baked Pork Chops

Around four o'clock James called to tell me he was already really hungry. Should he eat something while he was out running errands or could we have dinner on the early side, he wondered. I was just about finished with my chores and started to dream up a dinner I could make happen quickly but would still be satisfying on a nice fall Saturday night. Plus -- we spent a good part of the morning cleaning the house so something I could do and keep the kitchen fairly clean was a bonus.

Somehow I landed on pork chops. I usually cook them in a frying pan but in the interest of my splatter free kitchen I decided to bake the chops with a tasty crunchy crust. I mixed together panko bread crumbs, matzoh meal (okay I had it in the house from a past matzoh ball adventure and used it in spite of the odd combo with pork chops), thyme (both dried and fresh) chopped parsley, onion powder, oregano, lemon zest, S&P, parmesan cheese and crushed red chiles into a coating. I dipped each chop in an egg mixed with buttermilk and then in the crispy coating. The chops baked for about 17 minutes at 350º. The coating (and the buttermilk) protected the meat and what can often be a dry dish was perfectly tender, moist and juicy. Alongside on James' plate were home grown mini potatoes roasted in lemon juice, oregano and olive oil, and roasted broccoli topped with parmesan cheese.

Simple saturday night fare.