Corn Encrusted Pork

With a nod to Mike at Arsenic.net‘s weekly Pork Chop Radio show playing this morning, here’s a recipe that I used to cook back when times were tight but we liked to eat. It doesn’t make our menu rotation too often anymore, which is a shame. I think I know what we’ll have for dinner here tonight.
Corn Encrusted Pork
serves 4
4 pork chops or pork fillets
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1 cup corn meal (approx)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste
oil for frying
Set up a breading station: salted flour, egg wash, corn meal mixed with herbs and pepper.
Lightly flour the meat, then dip in the egg wash, and finally coat well with cornmeal. Make the cornmeal coating fairly thick with no gaps. Depending on the size of your chops, you may need more than a cup of cornmeal.
Pan fry the pork in a little oil until the cornmeal is golden brown. Because the meat’s encrusted, you can’t easily test for doneness, so I judge by the “give” of the meat. When it’s raw it feels soft and floppy; as it cooks it gets stiffer. Imagine a book made of rubber–that’s what your shooting for. Still a little give, but not bendy.
Serve with garlic mashed potatoes, applesauce, and a green veg of your choice.