Panko Buttermilk Pork Chops

So the dinner with the high temperature cooked panko encrusted chicken went so well, I decided to apply the same idea to pork. Only, I did not mallet the whathaveyou out of them to make them slender like the chicken, so I decided to experiment with the temperature. Flattened chicken would cooked to perfection at 500 degrees F. I cooked these pork chops at 475.

Panko Buttermilk Pork Chops
nutrition facts

What to assemble before you start because it all happens quite fast indeed:


I used three pork chops (each about the size of 1/2 of a butterfly chop
1 pint buttermilk
1 T Sriracha Sauce
1 zip lock bag
1 1/2 cups Panko (you can get plain or seasoned as you prefer)
1/4 t fresh cracked black pepper
1 t dried parsley
1 t paprika
2 t garlic powder
I do not salt but I am used to very low or no salt, you may need some salt
1/2 cup fresh ground Parmesan

9 x 12 baking pan lined with foil
Non stick spray

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (yup, I decided)

As soon as I got home from the store, I took the pork chops out of the package and placed them in the zip lock bag with the buttermilk and Sriracha Sauce  If you are cooking dinner within a half hour, leave the bag on the counter, otherwise refrigerate it and then take the bag out of the fridge 45 minutes prior to baking. Room temperature meat will cook faster. This high heat method needs the meat to cook up fast so it finishes throughout and yet remains tender and juicy.

Mix up the Panko, seasonings, and Parmesan in a medium sized bowl.

Pull the pork chops out of the bag one at a time and gently shake - don't try to get all the buttermilk off just the excess. Then coat each chop thoroughly with the Panko mixture. Press the Panko mixture firmly into the meat. If you run out of Panko stuff, mix up some more. If you have extra you can press it in on the top or pitch as you prefer.

Lay them in the foil lined pan (don't forget to spray with the non-stick stuff first).

Here's what they looked like before going into the oven. I smashed on almost every bit of the Panko mix.

Pop the pan into the preheated oven. They should be done in 15-20 minutes depending the thickness of the chops. The Panko will be well browned, bordering on but not achieving an unhealthy charring.

Today's pork should not be cooked to the point of well done. It should still be faintly pink when removed from the oven. An internal temperature of 145-150 is fine. Check the chubbiest chop with an instant read thermometer. Mine were fat little fellows and took about 25 minutes. The pork chops are not improved with a higher internal temperature and will turn out dry in spite of the best efforts of the buttermilk.

Tent with foil for 10 minutes after they are removed from the oven. This will allow the juices to spread throughout and enhance the lovely texture.

Tonight, I served them with microwaved new potatoes and frozen cut green beans, layered with thick cut applewood smoked bacon which was sliced into nice delicious chunks.

Serve, and accept applause as mindfully as possible.

Barbecued Spareribs with Italian Style!

Italian Style Barbecue Spare Ribs!

Want the most awesome lip smacking, sticky finger licking amazingly meaty ribs ever? Then you have got to try Italian Barbecued Spareribs.

My plan - first make a great Italian BBQ sauce, then apply to ribs and bake. Easy peasy! When making your Italian spareribs, remember that a recipe is nothing but a template, a springboard for you to begin to create something just for you! So taste and change the sauce to suit you and your family. I modified the following recipe from a wonderful recipe by my Aunt-in-law, Mama D! 

Prep the Ribs! (preheat oven to 350)

3 lbs of nice lean spare ribs (whatever kind you like, I used the St. Louis Cut in the photo)
rub with 1/8 cup of pure olive oil.

Mix together 1/2 t fresh cracked black pepper, 1 t oregano, 2 cloves minced garlic or equivalent powdered, and 1 t of dried rosemary and rub all over the ribs.

Place the ribs in a great big economy sized baking pan (I used Pyrex for ease of cleaning later), brown a bit in the oven on both sides and then drain off the grease. I think it took me 20 minutes on one side and another 15 on the other. It will depend on how hot your oven runs.

Top with a few rings of onion slices if you like and then cover with every bit of the delicious Italian Barbecue sauce (below). Then bake in the oven for about another 2 hours or until the ribs are as tender as you like. Baste frequently. The amount of final baking time will depend on the weight of the slab of ribs. Make sure your side dishes are flexible timing-wise in the meal so if it takes a little longer there is no problem. I cooked mine about 45 minutes longer than the 2 hours, but then, it was nearly 4 pounds of glorious ribs!

Italian Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients and a few notes of stuff as I think about it:

1/4 cup pure olive oil
4-6 cloves garlic (all depends on the size and more would not hurt it at all), minced
1 onion, chopped (now Mama D specified two onions chopped, but I have a member of the household that is not the biggest fan of onions so I just used one)
1 29 oz can of tomato puree (or a #2 1/2 depending on where you live your cans are numbered instead of weighed in ounces!)
2 T wine vinegar - get a good one, I used Colavita
2 T packed brown sugar...packed firm and maybe even rounded a bit!
1/2 t fresh ground black pepper
1 t oregano

Sauce Directions:

Heat the oil in a sauce pan, add onion and saute til starting to soften, add garlic and saute another couple minutes to release the glorious garlic aroma! Add the remaining ingredients and stir frequently while simmering for about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings after about 20 minutes of simmering.

It is impossible to not be very mindful indeed when eating these ribs, so enjoy!