Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops

This is the first time, in my cooking "career", that I made pork chops which I felt were worth eating.  Yes, I have cooked pork chops many times, but they were merely edible. They made a good T.....  Ok, never mind.

I highly suggest you think ahead on this one and brine the pork chops 12-24 hours. I had never made a decent moist pork chop until I brined mine for a paltry 6 hours and it made a HUGE difference in how moist/dry the chops turned out. I cannot imagine what 12 hours in brine would have produced! These pork chops were moist, fairly tender and very tasty using the brine method and the below recipe. I will post the brine recipe as well.
Note: I used 1” thick cut bone-out pork chops and had to add to the cooking time.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs (can be regular bread crumbs)

• 3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan (I used shaky cheese)

• 4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces)

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 6 tablespoons olive oil (or you can use bacon drippings)

• Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions (assuming not brining or after brining is complete)

Preheat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat.

Whisk the eggs and pour into a pie or soup plate. (These plates have higher sides than regular plates to keep contents inside, but a flat bottom unlike a bowl so meat sits flat on contents to aid in complete coating).

Pour the bread crumbs in another pie or soup plate.

Sprinkle the cheese in a third pie or soup plate.

Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper (to your liking).

Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. If the cheese coating is too thick, it will keep the egg from sticking in the below next step. This part isn’t that big a deal and you will settle into what works best for you on this issue.

Dip the chops into the eggs.

Coat chops completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.

Add pork chops in skillet, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. You may wish to cut into a chop to make sure it is cooked to your liking – especially if you do not have a meat thermometer.

Transfer the chops to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Note: Lemon wedges add tangy flavor without adding salt after the fact.

I actually used 6 each 1" chops and had plenty of egg left over.  Feel free to add chops to this recipe and still not be required to crack another egg.