Cheesy Crispy Pork Chops with Roasted Cabbage and Walnut Salsa
Not only is this a deliciously beige-y orange dish, it’s a two-for-one deal. This isn’t winning any beauty awards anytime soon, but they’re so good. The ingredient lists are close enough to make buying things easier, but they have different enough flavors to make it interesting.
Bone-in pork chops made for a particularly juicy chop. I don’t tend to make pork chops for this reason, but a cheesy crunchy topping was enough to woo me. The method of placing it on a wire rack within a baking sheet keeps things crunchy, and there is something insanely satisfying chewing the meat off the bone [sorry, not sorry meat-eating friends].
The roasted cabbage was equally delicious. That walnut salsa is heavenly. It takes serious self-restraint not to eat it by the spoonful while the cabbage roasts. Try to hold out. It makes that tender, yet crispy-edged cabbage that much better. It says a lot when I halve the meat recipe, but totally make the full amount of cabbage. We love cabbage, what can I say?
They both come together at relatively the same time. The original roasted cabbage recipe had the oven at 475 degrees, but I dropped it for the pork chops and just let the cabbage go the whole time. It takes longer, but it works with the pork’s timing. It’s pretty great.
Ingredients
Pork Chops
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 egg
- 2 bone-in pork chops, approximately 1/2 pound each
- kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Roasted Cabbage
- 1 head small savoy cabbage, quartered and cored
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 clove of garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- juice of one lemon
- olive oil
- kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Preparation
Pork Chops
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Make sure oven rack is in the middle. Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven while it comes to temperature. Rub a wire rock with some olive oil. It will be placed on the rimmed baking sheet when the time comes.
In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup of panko breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons of grated cheese, garlic powder, and ground paprika. You want to be able to fit the pork chops in it one at a time. Once combined, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir until it’s incorporated into the breadcrumb mixture.
In a second bowl that will fit the pork chops, whisk the egg until the egg yolk is thoroughly incorporated.
Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper. Dip each pork chop into the egg mixture and then dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture. Use your fingers to make sure all sides of the pork chop are covered in the mixture. Place them on the wire rack.
Remove the preheated pan. Place the wire rack into the pan and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the pork chops. Bake for another 10+ minutes, until the internal temperature of the pork chop is 145 degrees and the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Allow the chops to rest a couple minutes before serving.
Roasted Cabbage
Rub the softened butter on all sides of the cut pieces of cabbage. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Arrange on a separate baking sheet if you don’t have room on your pork chop pan. Roast until the edges are crispy and brown. It should take about 15-20 minutes.
While the cabbage roasts put the minced garlic and 1/4 cup of olive oil in a small bowl. Add the walnuts, breadcrumbs, and cheese to the olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Stir to combine. It should be a chunky, loose mixture.
Drizzle the vinegar over the roasted quarters and then sprinkle the walnut salsa on top. Serve immediately.