Panko Encrusted Pork Chops

Breading, specifically bread crumbs is often used as a coating for meats, poultry and seafood.  While I am not a huge fan of heavy coating I'm a bit partial to coconut fried shrimp and my husband's famous signature pork chops.  Panko is a Japanese style of bread crumb made from a custom baked bread that results in airy, crispy crumbs that give a delicate crunch without burning problems.  These bread crumbs are more expensive than store bought bread crumbs and considerably more expensive than homemade bread crumbs.  I paid $3.49 for a 227 g box so that is rather expensive.  This is not the type of bread crumb you would use on a regular basis but it does lend itself well to specific culinary applications so well worth keeping a box on hand. 

Most applications for panko call for deep frying and believe me it really is the only bread crumb to use if you want delectable coconut fried shrimp.  I decided to use them for panko encrusted pork chops baked in the oven.  This was just an easy, quick meat serving.

I set up three bowls - one with seasoned flour, one with panko bread crumbs and dried parsley flakes, and one with beaten eggs.  Then I dipped each boneless pork loin chop into the egg mixture, then flour, then egg and finally panko mixture.  I baked at 400ºF until golden brown.

I served the panko encrusted pork chops with leftover slow cooker baked bean, home canned green beans and oven baked potatoes.  The chops were absolutely delightful!  They were moist and tender inside yet crunchy on the outside which gives me an idea for pork nuggets.  All in all I was rather pleased with the results.