Crunchy Baked Pork Chops with Prosciutto and Asiago Cheese
By America's Test KitchenPublished on November 8, 2007
Time
1½ hours, plus 30 minutes brining and 20 minutes cooling
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Table salt 4 center-cut boneless pork chops, 6 to 8 ounces each, ¾ to 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces1 small minced shallot (about 2 tablespoons)3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)2 tablespoons vegetable oil Ground black pepper 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese ½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour plus 6 tablespoons3 large egg whites 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 4 slices Asiago cheese (⅛-inch thick)4 thin slices prosciutto Lemon wedges
Before You Begin
This recipe was developed using natural pork, but enhanced pork (injected with a salt solution) will work as well. If using enhanced pork, eliminate the brining in step 1. The bread crumb mixture can be prepared through step 2 up to 3 days in advance. The breaded chops can be frozen for up to 1 week. They don't need to be thawed before baking; simply increase the cooking time in step 5 to 35 to 40 minutes.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Dissolve 1/4 cup salt in 1 quart water in medium container or gallon-sized zipper-lock bag. Submerge chops, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes. Rinse chops under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Meanwhile, pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground, about eight 1-second pulses (you should have about 3 1/2 cups crumbs). Transfer crumbs to rimmed baking sheet and add shallot, garlic, oil, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss until crumbs are evenly coated with oil. Bake until deep golden brown and dry, about 15 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. (Do not turn off oven.) Cool to room temperature. Toss crumbs with Parmesan, thyme, and parsley.
- Place 1/4 cup flour in pie plate. In second pie plate, whisk egg whites and mustard until combined; add remaining 6 tablespoons flour and whisk until almost smooth, with pea-sized lumps remaining.
- Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place in rimmed baking sheet. Season chops with pepper. Place 1/8-inch-thick slice Asiago cheese (about 1/2 ounce) on top of each chop. Wrap each chop with thin slice prosciutto, pressing on prosciutto so that cheese and meat adhere to one another. Dredge 1 pork chop in flour; shake off excess. Using tongs, coat with egg mixture; let excess drip off. Coat all sides of chop with bread crumb mixture, pressing gently so that thick layer of crumbs adheres to chop. (Be careful when handling chops so that cheese and meat do not come apart.) Transfer breaded chop to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 3 chops.
- 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 with lemon wedges.
Time
1½ hours, plus 30 minutes brining and 20 minutes coolingYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Table salt
4 center-cut boneless pork chops, 6 to 8 ounces each, ¾ to 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 small minced shallot (about 2 tablespoons)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour plus 6 tablespoons
3 large egg whites
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 slices Asiago cheese (⅛-inch thick)
4 thin slices prosciutto
Lemon wedges
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Table salt
4 center-cut boneless pork chops, 6 to 8 ounces each, ¾ to 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 small minced shallot (about 2 tablespoons)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour plus 6 tablespoons
3 large egg whites
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 slices Asiago cheese (⅛-inch thick)
4 thin slices prosciutto
Lemon wedges
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Table salt
4 center-cut boneless pork chops, 6 to 8 ounces each, ¾ to 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 small minced shallot (about 2 tablespoons)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour plus 6 tablespoons
3 large egg whites
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 slices Asiago cheese (⅛-inch thick)
4 thin slices prosciutto
Lemon wedges
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For a pork chop recipe with a thick coating that wouldn’t fall off in the oven, we had to make a quick, batterlike egg wash by whisking enough flour into an egg white and mustard mixture to give it the consistency of mayonnaise. Once the chops were coated in this powerful glue, they held on to our flavorful mixture of toasted bread crumbs, garlic, Parmesan, and herbs.
Before You Begin
This recipe was developed using natural pork, but enhanced pork (injected with a salt solution) will work as well. If using enhanced pork, eliminate the brining in step 1. The bread crumb mixture can be prepared through step 2 up to 3 days in advance. The breaded chops can be frozen for up to 1 week. They don't need to be thawed before baking; simply increase the cooking time in step 5 to 35 to 40 minutes.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Dissolve 1/4 cup salt in 1 quart water in medium container or gallon-sized zipper-lock bag. Submerge chops, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes. Rinse chops under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Meanwhile, pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground, about eight 1-second pulses (you should have about 3 1/2 cups crumbs). Transfer crumbs to rimmed baking sheet and add shallot, garlic, oil, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss until crumbs are evenly coated with oil. Bake until deep golden brown and dry, about 15 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. (Do not turn off oven.) Cool to room temperature. Toss crumbs with Parmesan, thyme, and parsley.
- Place 1/4 cup flour in pie plate. In second pie plate, whisk egg whites and mustard until combined; add remaining 6 tablespoons flour and whisk until almost smooth, with pea-sized lumps remaining.
- Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place in rimmed baking sheet. Season chops with pepper. Place 1/8-inch-thick slice Asiago cheese (about 1/2 ounce) on top of each chop. Wrap each chop with thin slice prosciutto, pressing on prosciutto so that cheese and meat adhere to one another. Dredge 1 pork chop in flour; shake off excess. Using tongs, coat with egg mixture; let excess drip off. Coat all sides of chop with bread crumb mixture, pressing gently so that thick layer of crumbs adheres to chop. (Be careful when handling chops so that cheese and meat do not come apart.) Transfer breaded chop to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 3 chops.
- 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 with lemon wedges.
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