30 minute meal?

[Jenise]

Okay, you've got two thick boneless pork loin chops and 30 minutes of hands-on time in which to prepare dinner. Those are 30 non-continuous minutes, so you may do some of your prep work earlier. What are you going to make?

Fennel, thyme, garlic and bay leaf dry spice rub on the chops, let them sit while I microwave peeled royal blue potatoes to mash with cream/milk and butter. Cook chops in the cast iron griddle pan, serve the whole thing with a leafy green salad dressed with balsamic and EVOO, with homemade apple butter (which we already have) on the side.

OK, really can't compete with the homemade apple butter!! YUM Celia.

I would probably marinade the chops in an Italian style dressing for 15 min. Throw them on the grill for 5-6 min per side depending on the thickness. heat some apricot preserves and serve on top. Sides would probably be boiled herbed fingerling potatoes and sauteed napa cabbage.

Okay, you've got two thick boneless pork loin chops and 30 minutes of hands-on time in which to prepare dinner. Those are 30 non-continuous minutes, so you may do some of your prep work earlier. What are you going to make?

In a crunch last night, I did this with pork tenderloin in 30 minutes. The chops would work for this too.
Cut pork into large chunks. Marinate in garlic, soy sauce, sherry and some juice from a can of pineapple chunks.
Alternate on skewers with red bell pepper, onion, and pineapple chunks. Grill--serve with white rice. Low brow, I know, but quite tasty and quick.

[Robin Garr]

Okay, you've got two thick boneless pork loin chops and 30 minutes of hands-on time in which to prepare dinner. Those are 30 non-continuous minutes, so you may do some of your prep work earlier. What are you going to make?

Great concept! Me, I'd pan-roast the chops: Sear on both sides in a black iron skillet with a little oil and some smashed garlic cloves for about 2 minutes on a side, then ram into a preheated 400F oven in the skillet for about 15 minutes (depending on thickness) without turning. While it roasts, make a salad or some spinach or broccoli. For a starch, whatever - maybe spaghetti simply tossed with butter and sage, or rice, or just warm some bakery rolls if I've got 'em. Pull out chops, plate and eat. Uncork wine.

[Robin Garr]

you've got two thick boneless pork loin chops

I guess it goes without saying that we're talking about natural, local pasture-raised pork here, none of that slimed commercial crapola ...

Basically, I'm in Celia's camp, but, for the sake of discussion:

Slice the chops. Season with thyme and cumin. Sear hot and fast. Reserve.

In the same pan: melt some butter, bring some garlic to fragrance, throw in a gigantic handful of spinach. Cook to wilt. Reserve.

Toast whatever bread you have handy. Top with roasted peppers, caponata, or some other vegetable yummy.

Plate all.

Cut a pocket in the chops and stuff with Pesto and crushed green peppercorns. Season with pepper and salt and sear on both sides in a cast iron casserole. Cover and cook in 400º oven for 7-8 minutes, depending on thickness. Take out chops and tent to keep warm. Skim as much fat as possible from the casserole, add a good splash of dry sherry and 2 Tbs of demi-glace. Reduce to a syrup, montée au beurre to produce a small sauce.
For vegetables, local green or runner beans. Side salad of local heritage tomatoes, with just a touch of pepper and salt.

Roast with sauerkraut and mushrooms.

Pound the crap out of them to flatten. Bread with a combo of bread crumbs, salt, pepper, Regparm and fresh parsley.
Saute in xvoo and top with fresh baby arrugala. Drizzle with lemon juice.

Pair with something white and crisp from the Loire.

[Robin Garr]

Pound the crap out of them to flatten. Bread with a combo of bread crumbs, salt, pepper, Regparm and fresh parsley.
Saute in xvoo and top with fresh baby arrugala. Drizzle with lemon juice.

Pair with something white and crisp from the Loire.

Yummmmm!

BUT ... Jenise said THICK pork chops. I'm a little surprised at a couple of you calling for four or five minutes cooking time or pounding them into scaloppine. Maybe I'm just spoiled by having retail sources for local farm-raised pork, but when Jenise said "thick," I visualized at least 1 1/2 inch chops and maybe 2. I wouldn't try pounding THAT ... and I'd still look at a 10-15 minute roast following searing in my plain-and-simple rendition.

Jenise, what did you mean by "thick"?

[Jenise]

Jenise, what did you mean by "thick"?

An inch to inch and a half.

I should have introduced my topic better:

I was on the phone with a friend yesterday. Turns out we both had inch or so thick boneless pork chops to make for dinner and no time for much fuss--in my case, our architect was stopping by around 6:00 and dinner would have to be made quickly after he left, presumably around 8:00. She was going to slather hers with bottled teriyaki and grill them off with some fresh zucchini. That was her typical revert--if she can't think of anything else, it gets the teriyaki treatment. Whereas I look at a lump of meat like that and think schnitzel. Before I even posted my question, I'd sliced each chop into three scallopines, pounded them thinner, and thrown them in a bowl with white wine, olive oil, dried basil, salt and pepper. That probably took three minutes. I then peeled and diced a butternut squash which took about three more minutes, covered it with a wet paper towel and set it aside.

After Craig left, it was a simple matter to do the flour/egg/panko-with-parmesan dip and fry the scallopines while the butternut squash roasted at 450 degrees, lightly tossed in olive oil, a few fresh sage leaves, and smooshed fresh garlic. For a no-fat salad, while the pork and squash were cooking we gnoshed on some sliced kosher new pickles I'd made. The rest was on the table along with a bowl of lemon quarters in about 20 minutes. Quick and non-traditional combinations, but the flavors worked well and all the foods were the two things that matter most: fresh and home-made.

But it dawned on me, and that's why I posted about it, that reflexive as this meal was I didn't have a 2nd idea ready to go. I guess I've gotten into a bit of a rut lately, and wanted to hear what others would do in a similar situation. And the ideas described here are terrific.

[Jenise]

Pound the crap out of them to flatten. Bread with a combo of bread crumbs, salt, pepper, Regparm and fresh parsley.
Saute in xvoo and top with fresh baby arrugala. Drizzle with lemon juice.

Pair with something white and crisp from the Loire.

Just about exactly what I did (see response to Robin). Even paired them with a sauv blanc, though a Cono Sur Reserve from Chile.

[Jenise]

Cut a pocket in the chops and stuff with Pesto and crushed green peppercorns. Season with pepper and salt and sear on both sides in a cast iron casserole. Cover and cook in 400º oven for 7-8 minutes, depending on thickness. Take out chops and tent to keep warm. Skim as much fat as possible from the casserole, add a good splash of dry sherry and 2 Tbs of demi-glace. Reduce to a syrup, montée au beurre to produce a small sauce.
For vegetables, local green or runner beans. Side salad of local heritage tomatoes, with just a touch of pepper and salt.

Love this suggestion--I've never used pesto as a stuffing ingredient.

I'm a little surprised at a couple of you calling for four or five minutes cooking time

Robin...I find that when I have 1 1/2 inch chops that my gas grill at high heat gets them medium well at 5-6 min per side. This can't be accomplished when I sear them in a pan, but no problems in my grill. Most of the time though, my chops are about 1 inch and I grill them for 5 min on one side and 4 min on the 2nd side. The grill is usually about 450 degrees. They come out perfect.

Robin...I find that when I have 1 1/2 inch chops that my gas grill at high heat gets them medium well at 5-6 min per side. This can't be accomplished when I sear them in a pan, but no problems in my grill. Most of the time though, my chops are about 1 inch and I grill them for 5 min on one side and 4 min on the 2nd side. The grill is usually about 450 degrees. They come out perfect.

GAS grill Maria? I am surprised to read that from you. I have one of those too, a Holland and it generally serves to hold the tools I use when cooking on Hot Mama!

What about this oldie, but goodie? Just substitute your boneless pork chops and probably reduce the cooking time a little.

Baked Pork Chops with Parmesan-Sage Crust

1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2 eggs
1/4 cup flour
4 bone-in center-cut pork loin chops (about 1 inch thick)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 425F. Mix breadcrumbs, cheese, sage and lemon peel in a shallow dish. Whisk eggs in a meduim bowl. Place flour on a plate and season generously with salt and pepper. Coat pork chops on both sides with flour; shake off excess. Dip chops into eggs, then coat both sides with breadcrumb mixture.

Melt butter with oil in a large ovenproof skillet over meduim-high heat. Add pork chops to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven. Bake until pork chops are crisp on the outside and meat thermometer inserted into pork registers 150F, about 20 minutes.

Serve with roasted sweet potatoes.

[Robin Garr]

I would like my pan-roast process best with bone-in and can understand the scaloppine approach a little better now.

Me, too. The presence of a bone changes the game.

[Jenise]

What about this oldie, but goodie? Just substitute your boneless pork chops and probably reduce the cooking time a little.

Baked Pork Chops with Parmesan-Sage Crust

1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2 eggs
1/4 cup flour
4 bone-in center-cut pork loin chops (about 1 inch thick)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 425F. Mix breadcrumbs, cheese, sage and lemon peel in a shallow dish. Whisk eggs in a meduim bowl. Place flour on a plate and season generously with salt and pepper. Coat pork chops on both sides with flour; shake off excess. Dip chops into eggs, then coat both sides with breadcrumb mixture.

Melt butter with oil in a large ovenproof skillet over meduim-high heat. Add pork chops to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven. Bake until pork chops are crisp on the outside and meat thermometer inserted into pork registers 150F, about 20 minutes.

Serve with roasted sweet potatoes.

YESSS! This is precisely the origins of crusted pork chops for me, your posting of this recipe way back when. I had never prepared a pork chop this way before, but loved it, and incorporated it into my repertoire. And of course, have since worked my own version of it, loving the infused wine flavor and enjoying the crust enough to increase the crust-pork ratio by using thinner cuts, or cutting a thick chop into schnitzels.

What about this oldie, but goodie? Just substitute your boneless pork chops...

Goodness gracious. I think I could substitute an old slipper and enjoy it!