Baked Pork Chops with Parmesan-Sage Crust

Serves 4

1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
1 T dried rubbed sage
1 t grated lemon peel
2 large eggs
1/4 cup flour
4 bone-in center-cut pork loin chops (each about 1 inch thick)
2 T (1/4 stick) butter
2 T olive oil
Lemon wedges (optional)
Orange wedges (optional)
Preheat oven to 425°F.


Mix breadcrumbs, cheese, sage and lemon peel in pie dish. Whisk eggs in medium bowl to blend. Place flour on plate; season generously with salt and pepper. Coat pork chops on both sides with flour; shake off excess. Dip chops into eggs, then coat on both sides with breadcrumb mixture.

Melt butter with oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer skillet with pork to oven. Bake until pork chops are crisp on the outside and meat thermometer inserted into pork registers 150°F, about 20 minutes.
Transfer pork chops to plates. Garnish with lemon wedges and orange wedges, if desired, and serve.

Holly's Note:
This is another Epicurious recipe. I thought it was way over-rated. The crust was too thick and quite flavorless. I won't make it again. If you make it and like it, let me know. Serve it with Roasted Sweet Potatoes.