Pork Chops Crusted with Parmesan Cheese and Bread Crumbs

Recipe

• 1 large egg

• 1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs

• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (purist would require that you fresh grate cheese, but frankly pre-grated is fine)

• 3 center-cut loin pork chops, not too thick, boneless and trimmed

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil

(I do not use salt, as the cheese should be salty enough.)

Beat the egg in a pie plate.  Place cheese in another, and crumbs in a third.  Press pork chops into cheese, pressing down to adhere, spreading chops.  Dip in egg, then into bread crumbs, peppering to taste.  I place sheets of waxed paper between stacked pork chops while in breads crumbs so that crumbs continue to adhere to both sides of  pork chops, press down hard with the heal of your hand, and then place a kitchen weight on top, continuing to spread chops to 1/4 inch thick or so.  I let them rest with weight on top for 10 minutes or so while vegetables, salad, or other meal condiments are prepared, cooking chops last as they require attention while frying.

Place oil in a very large frying pan, and heat (remember that olive oil has a low smoke temperature, and you do not want the bread crumbs to char before pork chops are cooked through, so use a low-moderate burner).  Place pork chops in pan, and fry until chops are cooked through but still moist, turning and checking to make sure that outside does not over brown.  About four minutes should do it if chops are not too thick.  Enjoy.

Serves two.