How to Make Breading for Pork Chops
While pork chops are frequently grilled on their own, coating them with breadcrumbs, which form a crispy covering over the chops as they are baked or fried, makes for a whole new experience. For this purpose, you can use fresh, homemade breadcrumbs, or simple buy the packaged variety.
In addition to giving the chops a crispy coating, breading can also be a great way to pack more flavour into the pork chops, and a wide array of herbs and ingredients can be mixed into the breadcrumbs for this purpose. Prior to being breaded, the chops need to be dipped in a liquid like melted butter or beaten eggs – this will help the coating stick to the chops.
Instructions
-
1
If you want to make it all from scratch, try your hand at making home-made breadcrumbs. Get a couple of slices of stale bread, shred them into rough pieces, pop these in the blender, and pulse on high until they form a fine, crumbed mixture. This can then be used as the base, and you can add in your preferred seasonings. Basic salt and pepper can be just as good as experimental combinations of herbs and spices.
-
2
Since making homemade breadcrumbs takes time, most people prefer to buy the packaged variety, and then add in their own seasonings. A basic breading for pork chops would include a cup or two of breadcrumbs, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and dried parsley – you can also add in a pinch of cayenne pepper or dried chilli flakes for some heat.
-
3
Italian pork chops are a huge favourite, and a lot of the “Italian” factor lies in the breading. For this coating you will need to blend store-bought Italian breadcrumbs with quintessential Italian flavours – grated Parmesan cheese, dried oregano, sage, and rosemary, as well as cracked black pepper and salt to taste.
-
4
A cheesy breading for pork chops is also an easy and delicious option. For this, the breadcrumbs will need to be seasoned with basic salt and pepper, and a variety of your favourite grated and shredded cheeses can be added to the mix. These might include cheddar, provolone, Parmesan, mozzarella, or even crumbled blue cheese. In order to cut through the cheese, you can also season this breading with a pinch of cayenne or paprika, to give it a bit of a kick.
