Crispy Pork Chops With Buttered Radishes

Use the Japanese trick. At Step 1 spread a little mayo on both sides of the chop and then dip in panko. Panko adheres nicely. Good with fish filets too.

Pork chops (and chicken breasts) can be breaded without using flour and egg to bind the crumbs — it results in a lighter coating of panko, but the crumbs will cling to the meat. Trust me. The chops in this recipe are fried simultaneously, not one at a time. As long as your oil is hot enough — almost, but not quite, at the smoking point, it will not soak into the breading.

Wow this is great and perfect and how amusing to read all the control freaks rewriting the recipe and changing the words! Love lemon squeezed over schnitzel as well!

You say the greatest disservice one can do to pork chops like these is to "douse them with sauce". I disagree. The most delicious thing on earth that one can do is make pork chop milk gravy from all those delicious cracklings left in the skillet. Poured over a thin pork chop or a hot biscuit - while undoubtedly not very healthy, it's utter ambrosia.

There is no 'ethnic overreach.' 'Kosher salt,' describes a non-iodized salt with a large grain. Go ahead and use Morton's or whatever if you wish; but I think your comment bespeaks deeper problems.

If the pork has a band of fat, I recommend flattening it (just the fat) before proceeding. Fat cooks much more slowly than protein. Then, turn the chops every minute or so until they have a brown crust. Check the internal temperature with a good instant-reading thermometer. If the center of the meat is still below 135℉, place in a warm (250℉) oven to finish cooking. This method will yield a moist, succulent interior. The finished internal temp should be 145℉. Let the chops rest ~10 minutes.

'Ethnic overreach' in suggesting kosher salt? The suggestion is based on the coarseness of the salt...basic table salt is often too fine, and can lead easily to oversalting... Of course, feel free to use another type of flakey salt, possibly Maldon, if you're concerned about the kosher designation...

Having made 20 versions of this dish over the years (call it schnitzel, Milanese, whatever) this is distilled to its essentials and truly a “weeknight” recipe that will stay in the rotation. Less mess by ditching the egg and flour, but still crispy meat, essential sauce (butter/lemon/caper) and an awesome suggestion to finish with the half-sautéed radish...great meal. I did serve with a steamed cauliflower purée, but this can be on the table in 20.

I love this more and more. I use a Japanese trick to make the panko stick easier. I wipe a thin invisible smear of mayonnaise on both sides of each chop before dipping into the panko. There’s no taste effect, but you get crispier and juicier chops! Love the radishes but I cook them a little longer for a more tender result.

A little salt added to each ingredient at each stage of preparation seasons the dish more thoroughly and expertly than all of the salt dumped in at the beginning or end. It's not about using a ton of salt, it's about putting it to its best use at the right time and place; a true culinary skill.

Made with pork tenderloin medallions, apples, celery, capers, a little onion. Very nice!

Can these be baked in the oven instead of pan fried? If so, at what temp and for how long?

The useful thing about kosher salt, folks, is it’s texture, not (necessarily) the fact that it’s kosher.

Help me understand. So this is not deep-fried but dry pan-fried? In that case, wouldn't 2-3 tbsp of oil easily soak into a single panko'd pork chop, requiring you to repeat for each, rather oil-laden, chop? And how do you get the bread crumbs to stay on the meat?

Nice! Quick and easy, elegant presentation. Cooking for one, I had on hand 2 boneless pork chops about 3/4 inch thick, a bunch of roquette, fresh mushrooms, capers. I followed the instructions with the exception of lowering the heat a bit immediately after the after the crisping to allow the chops time to reach a pale pink center. Wiped the pan clean, added butter, capers sliced mushrooms, and a handful of roquette to wilt stage (the three married well!) plus a handful of fresh on the plate.