Panko + Ramen Brined & Breaded Pork Chops

These brined pork chops covered in crunchy, smashed Ramen noodles and Panko breadcrumbs are yummy inside and out.

Buterfly them.

Brine them.

Bread them.

Bake them.

Four steps to make the most delicious boneless pork chops you ever had.

Let's start with choosing the type of pork chop to butterfly, brine, bread, and bake.

Center Cut Pork Chops

A great way to save money on pork and pork chops is to buy a whole boneless pork loin and cut your own chops.

The best pork chops for breading come from the center portion of the pork loin. What I do is cut 2 inch chops from the center portion. Then it's time to butterfly.

You can also buy center cut pork chops in the grocery store. They can be boneless or bone-in. I prefer boneless for breading, because I don't have to worry about cutting into any bone at the dinner table.

Why Butterfly a Pork Chop?

The reason you want to butterfly is that you increase the surface area of a the pork chop, giving you more meat to cover. It also helps the pork cook quicker.

If you choose not to butterfly, then pick out 1-inch pork chops or you can buy already butterflied pork chops at premium. price.

How to Butterfly a Pork Chop

Watch this 45 second video to see how to butterfly a pork chop.

Here are the written instructions for butterflying a pork chop. Remember I am using a 2-inch pork chop for this.

1. Set pork chop up on it's side and make an incision along the
   length of it.
2. Using your fingers spread the halves of the pork chop apart
   and continue cutting downward
3. Be careful not to cut all the way through!
4. You want to stop cutting with about an inch left in tact.
5. Start to lay the pork chop flat as you cut to help determine
   when to stop.

Alton Brown's Brine Method for Pork Chops

Almost every time I cook up some pork it starts with a brine. This is a brine that I learned from Alton Brown. The brine will help introduce flavor to the meat and also make a moist chop.

Here are the ingredients that Alton calls for in his pork chop brine:

• 2 cups vegetable broth
• ½ cup kosher salt
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns

Substitution Options

Here are some ingredients you could sub at a 1:1 ratio.

• Vegetable broth --> plain old water, chicken broth or stock
• Light Brown Sugar --> Coconut sugar, raw sugar
• Whole Black Peppercorns --> white, green, or rainbow peppercorns

I can attest to the fact that the coconut sugar works as it is what I used last time I brined.

In order for the brine to work, you first must heat up it up enough to dissolve the sugar and salt. I just put the brine in a sauce pan over high heat and stir it until I can't see any more of the salt or sugar.

You don't want the brine hot when you add the pork. You don't want to cook the chops quite yet.

In order to cool it down faster you can add some ice cubes to bring it down the temperature. You want it to be as cold as it if were in the fridge before you add the pork.

If I don't have ice on hand, I cool the brine enough so that I can put it in the fridge to get it cool enough. The ice will save you a lot of time.

Ingredients for the Breading

Now that the brine is set. let's look at what we use to bread our pork chops.

• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• ½ pack dry Ramen noodles, smashed
• Smoked Paprika
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 large egg

I am never one to miss an opportunity to add more crunch. So instead of just doing breadcrumbs only, I add in some smashed Ramen noodles.

Yeah you heard me right!!!

Just get out a hammer, put them in a sandwich bag, and gently tap them to break them into small pieces. Mix in with the breadcrumbs. You'll be so glad you did.

I use about half a packet for 3 pork chops.

Substitution Options

Here are some ingredients you could sub at a 1:1 ratio. I include some options to make these pork chops gluten free.

• All-Purpose Flour --> Gluten Free Flour (I use Jessica's)
• Panko breadcrumbs --> A gluten free breadcrumb alternative like Pork Panko, which is made from gluten free pork rinds
• Ramen noodles --> Use an extra cup of breadcrumbs or a gluten free breadcrumb alternative
• Whole Black Peppercorns --> white, green, or rainbow peppercorns

How to Bread Pork Chops

The breading begins by coating the pork chops one by one in all-purpose flour. This will keep the breading stick to the pork better.

I recommend using a fork for this so that you can keep your hands clean.

The next step is for the pork chops to be coated in egg. Depending on the size of your eggs you might need one or two. We raise ducks and have extra large eggs, so I just needed one for this recipe.

Next the pork goes into our breading mixture. Make sure both sides are nicely coated. Once you have completed one chop start on the next.

How to Bake the Pork Chops

You can bake the breaded pork chops on a sheet pan with some parchment paper. The parchment makes for easy clean up.

If you own a probe thermometer, insert it from the side into the center of one of the pork chops. It can be tricky getting the spot right. You are looking for 160 degrees for the pork to be cooked and white inside.

The good news is that you brined the pork so it won't dry out as easily as if you didn't use a therometer or overcooked it.

If you aren't using a thermometer, cook the pork for about 45-55 minutes at 350 degrees. The crust should be set and turning golden. It wouldn't be a bad idea to check at the 30 minute mark to see how the chops are doing.

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