Nut-crusted baked Pork Chops

Hello loyal follower(s)

As usual, Mr Nut could not just make an existing recipe,  he had to develop his own.  Mr Nut was able to complete a merger of two recipes  into one recipe with  carbohydrate and calorie values.  Both recipes came from Cook's Illustrated, from January 2008 and January 2011.  Mr Nut took the best of each recipe, the choice of meat (pork loin chops) from one recipe  and the nut-crusting from the other recipe which was for chicken breasts.
Mr Nut main concern was to minimize the carbs in the recipe.  The nut-crusting ingredients were based on 6-8 ounce chicken breasts while the meat of choice was only five ounces each.  Therefore the Panko Japanese style bread crumbs was reduced from one cup to one-half cup, greatly reducing the carbohydrates in the recipe.   The crusting was fantastic, and will be used on many recipes yet to be written.

 This was all that was needed for the great dish.

Mr Nut did not know what a shallot was and it was called for in the recipes.  It seems that most of the Cooks' illustrated recipes use shallots.  Mr Nut purchased one and used it in the hybrid recipe.  It seemed to be just a high class red onion, thus if you make this recipe it will be your choice.

Mr Nut had a  new experience "browning butter", it was a neat experience, and he did not burn it.  Then the Panko crumbs and the chopped  nuts were added to the browned butter as shown at the left.

Notice the nut-crusted chops were placed on a cooling rack to allow for the heat to reach all sides of the chops.  A good idea that will have applications in future recipes.

It should be noted here that Mr Nut knows very little about the various spices,  but he is learning.

Cyndy checked out the doneness of the chop. She and Mr Nut really liked the results, it was a winner.

The total carbohydrate for the recipe was 124.2 which was 31 per serving.

Total calories  1991 which was 497.75



Recipe follows:

À bientôt,

Mr Nut

NUT-CRUSTED BAKED PORK CHOPS

 Based on recipes for Crunchy Baked Pork Chops Published January 1, 2008 and Nut-crusted Chicken Cutlets published January 1, 2011  From Cook's Illustrated.

Serves 4. 

For complete recipe; total carbohydrates 124.2 :  Calories 1991.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup Sea salt.

4 center-cut boneless pork chops , 5 to 6 ounces each, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat.                                          Carbs 0 g; Calories 280

1 cup roughly chopped almonds. (120 g)                Carbs 24 g;Calories 680

4 tablespoons butter (14 g).                                  Carbs 0 g;Calories 400

2 tablespoons minced shallot (20 g)  .                    Carbs 3.2 g; Calories 14

1/2 teaspoon Sea salt.

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs.                                Carbs 36 g;Calories 240

1 teaspoons lemon peel.

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.                Carbs 4 g;Calories 44

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour.                    Carbs 23 g; Calories 110

3 large egg whites.                                              Carbs 0 g;Calories 48

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (5 g).                           Carbs 0 g;  Calories 10

6 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour.          Carbs 35 g; Calories 165

Ground black pepper 

INSTRUCTIONS

1.   Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Dissolve 1/4 cup Sea salt in 1 quart water in medium container.  Submerge chops, cover, and refrigerate 30 minutes. Rinse chops under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
2. Process almonds in food processor until they resemble coarse meal, about 20 one-second pulses. 
3. Heat butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat; cook, swirling pan constantly, until butter turns golden brown and has nutty aroma, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons minced shallot and 1/4 teaspoon Sea salt; cook, stirring constantly, until just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low, add Panko and ground nuts; cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer Panko mixture to shallow dish or pie plate and stir in lemon peel, thyme, parsley flakes and Parmesan cheese.
5. Place 1/4 cup flour in a pie plate. In second pie plate, whisk egg whites and 2 teaspoons mustard until combined; add remaining 6 tablespoons flour and whisk until almost smooth, with pea-sized lumps remaining. 
6. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Spray wire cooling rack with nonstick cooking spray and place in rimmed baking sheet. 
7. Season chops with pepper. Dredge one pork chop in flour; shake off excess. Using tongs, coat with egg mixture; let excess drip off. Coat all sides of chop with Panko-almond bread crumb mixture, pressing gently so that thick layer of crumbs adheres to chop. Transfer breaded chop to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 3 chops.
8.  Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chops registers 150 degrees, 17 to 25 minutes. Let rest on rack 5 minutes before serving.