Italian Breaded Pork Chops with Tart Apple Sauce

Italian Breaded Pork Chops

Ingredients:

• 4 Thin Pork Chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Tablespoons Milk
• About 1/2 Cup Flour
• 1 Cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 Cup shredded Asiago Cheese (or Parmesan, or Romano)
• 2 Tablespoons Parsley
• 2 Cloves Garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 Tablespoon Oregano
• 1/2 Tablespoon Basil
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat up a skillet or a cast iron skillet, and oil the pan for frying. 
2. Over a low medium heat level works well. 
3. While the pan heats up prepare the breaded pork assembly line!
4. Take the pork chops out of the fridge and let warm to room temperature for about 20 minutes. 
5. Use this time to set up the breading stations.
6. In a medium bowl combine the milk and eggs, whisk slightly. Set aside
7. In another medium bowl combine the bread crumbs, shredded cheese, parsley, minced garlic, oregano, and basil. Set aside
8. Pour the flour onto a small plate, and set aside.
9. Preheat oven to 350°F
10. Take the pork cutlets one at a time and first dredge the pork chop in the flour. 
11. Next dip in the egg and milk mixture. 
12. Then Press each side of the pork cutlet into the bread crumb mixture and carefully place in the frying pan. 
13. Repeat with each pork cutlet until they are all in the pan.
14. Fry for about 5 minutes on each side and then if using cast iron, move the whole pan to the oven, or if using skillet that isn't oven safe transfer the pork cutlets to a pan and roast until done, testing with a meat thermometer. 
15. Mine took about 15 minutes, but could take up to 25+ minutes. Depends on how thick the pork chop is and ovens vary and all that.

Enjoy!

Tart Apple Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1-2 Tart Apples like Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, or Honeycrisp
• 1/4 Cup Water
• 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Allspice
• 1/2 Teaspoon Clove
• 1/2 Tablespoon Red wine vinegar
• 1/2 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• Dried Cranberries to garnish* Optional

Instructions:

1. In a small pot over medium heat combine the water, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, clove, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice. 
2. Dice the apple into small cubes and add to the pot. 
3. Let come to a simmer and reduce heat to low and cover. 
4. Cook for about 20 minutes and then smash the apples with a potato masher and the apple sauce is ready.
5. I served mine warm with the pork chops and some dried cranberries on top to be fancy.

Enjoy!

Notes:

Served this one up for supper last night and it was fantastic! Thin pork cutlets breaded in cheese and panko crumbs, gently fried and roasted to perfection!

I served mine with some apple sauce on the side, because it's fall, and I am Nova Scotian and that means I need to use apples in almost every meal this time of year. plus the crunchy bread-cheese coating on the pork was made to be paired with some sweet apple sauce. This apple sauce is delicious as a snack on its own, but I cut mine with a bit of red wine vinegar and lemon juice to take away some of the sweetness so it would pair better with the pork. I also went super fancy and threw a couple crasins on top of the apple sauce when I served it. Simple and awesome. Couldn't be better for a fall supper.