DIY “Shake and Bake” Pork Chops

Good morning everyone! I hope self-isolation is treating you well and that you aren’t going too stir crazy. Today on the blog we are going to make something very special, DIY Shake and Bake Pork Chops! That’s right, we are going to make our own version of shake n’ bake, coat some pork chops in it, cook them up, and serve them with cauliflower mash and roasted asparagus.

If you are sitting at home, looking at a package of pork chops and wondering what to do with them, I’ve got you covered. So let’s get right too it.

This is…

Getting Started

First things first I popped the oven on to 400°f. While the oven was pre-heating I measured my bread crumbs (I used gluten-free) into a large zip lock bag. To the bread crumbs, I added onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper, dried sage, and paprika. Cut out the measurements in the recipe at the bottom of this post.

Once all the seasonings were measured into the bag, I sealed it, gave it a good shake to mix it all up and set it aside.

6:38 pm – Bread the pork

In order to get a nice even coating of our DIY Shake and Bake we have to first wet the pork chops. To do this you could use a beaten egg or two, or you can use milk which is what I did. I went with milk because it gives you a thinner, crisper coating.

I poured some milk into a bowl, dipped my pork chops in it, put them in the zip lock bag, and shook with all my might. More cooking should involve vigorous shaking. It’s a great way to release some of that isolation stress.

Bake the chops

Once the pork chops are breaded, generously oil a sheet pan with olive oil. Put the pork chops on the sheet pan, making sure to leave space between each one. Put the pan in the lower third of the oven and cook.

Prep the Cauliflower

Now that the pork is in the oven it is time to move on to the cauliflower. First up clean the cauliflower by cutting out the root, pulling the leaves off and cutting into florets. The easiest way to do this is to push the tip of your knife into the base of the cauliflower at a 45° angle. Then spin the cauliflower 360°. The stem and leaves should mostly come right off. Then just cut away any bits that didn’t come off the first time.

Once the cauliflower is cleaned and cut into florets put it in a pot, cover with hot water, add salt, put a lid on it and bring it to a boil. Cook until the cauliflower is tender.

Asparagus

We also have to clean the asparagus. To do this garb it by the top and bottom and bend it. Where the stem breaks is where it goes from being woody to being tender. Discard the bottom woody bits and spread the rest out on a sheet pan. Drizzle the cleaned asparagus with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to cook.

The asparagus is only going to take about 12-15 minutes to cook so we want to wait to put in the oven until the pork chops only have about that much time left.

Sauce

With our DIY Shake and Bake pork chops, we are going to need some kind of sauce. When it comes to breaded meats there is one sauce that I love above all else, which is sweet chilli gastrique. You’ve seen me use this before but I don’t care. It’s delicious and I wanted to use it again. To make it combine honey, vinegar, chilli flakes, salt and pepper and a clove of garlic in a small pot and bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling turn the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Finish the sauce by whisking in a bit of butter.

Again check the recipe below for the measurements of the full ingredients.

Flip the pork chops

After about 12 minutes in the oven, the pork chops should be ready to flip. They are ready when they’re golden brown. Flip the pork chops and return them to the oven. At this point, the asparagus can go in the oven as well.

Asparagus in the oven

After about 12 minutes in the oven take the asparagus out and set it aside. Feel free to drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Flip again

You may not have to do this part but I flipped my pork chops and put them in the oven one more time. They just weren’t exactly golden enough. I put them in for another 3-4 minutes while I mashed my cauliflower.

Mash the cauliflower

Once the cauliflower is very tender, drain it, season it with salt and pepper, and add 1-2 tbsp of butter. Grate in a bit of parmesan cheese and mash it up really well using a potato masher.

Finish it up.

With everything ready to go all that is left is to plate dinner. First up, put a big scoop of the cauliflower mash down, then th asparagus topped by a top chop and finished with the sauce.

Delicious!

Conclusion

This meal is deceiving. You look at it and think “oh, this looks good.” but then when you eat it, it kind of blows your mind a little. All the flavours work very well together and the pork chops come out juicy and tender. Definitely give this a try!

As I said in the intro, I hope you are all doing well. I know that these are very strange times, and who knows when things will get back to normal or even what or new normal will be. All I can really say is that as lonely as it may feel, none of us are alone. To that point, if you have any questions about food or cooking, feel free to ask me either in the comments on this blog, on Facebook, Twitter, or on Instagram. I will answer as quickly as I can. In all honesty, if you just want to say hello and have a chat I’m down for that too.