America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

Italian-Style Pork Chops

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 26, 2011

Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Italian-Style Pork Chops

Ingredients

2 cups panko ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted (see note)5 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 garlic cloves, minced½ teaspoon dried oregano 2 tablespoons black olive tapenade ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper 4 bone-in rib or center-cut pork chops, about 1 inch thick1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Before You Begin

Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5 minutes.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 475 degrees. Pulse panko, pine nuts, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, garlic, and oregano in food processor until coarsely ground; transfer to shallow dish. Whisk remaining mayonnaise, tapenade, salt, and pepper in second shallow dish.
  2. Pat chops dry with paper towels. One at a time, coat chops with mayonnaise-tapenade mixture and dredge in crumb mixture, pressing to adhere. Remove hot baking sheet from oven and brush with oil. Transfer chops to preheated baking sheet and bake until brown and meat registers 145 degrees, 12 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Serve.
Italian-Style Pork Chops

Italian-Style Pork Chops

Headshot of America's Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen
Save

Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups panko
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted (see note)
5 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons black olive tapenade
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4 bone-in rib or center-cut pork chops, about 1 inch thick
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Ingredients

2 cups panko
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted (see note)
5 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons black olive tapenade
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4 bone-in rib or center-cut pork chops, about 1 inch thick
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Ingredients

2 cups panko
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted (see note)
5 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons black olive tapenade
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4 bone-in rib or center-cut pork chops, about 1 inch thick
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Why This Recipe Works

Using mayonnaise in the crumb coating and dredge for our Italian-Style Pork Chops helped recreate pan-fried crunch in the oven. To enhance the flavor of the pine nuts, we toasted them in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden. Tasters preferred bone-in chops, as they were juicier and had more pork flavor than those cooked without the bone.

Before You Begin

Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5 minutes.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 475 degrees. Pulse panko, pine nuts, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, garlic, and oregano in food processor until coarsely ground; transfer to shallow dish. Whisk remaining mayonnaise, tapenade, salt, and pepper in second shallow dish.
  2. Pat chops dry with paper towels. One at a time, coat chops with mayonnaise-tapenade mixture and dredge in crumb mixture, pressing to adhere. Remove hot baking sheet from oven and brush with oil. Transfer chops to preheated baking sheet and bake until brown and meat registers 145 degrees, 12 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Serve.

Gift This Recipe

Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.

This is a members' feature.