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Memories of mom's tough pork chops fade away

THE OLYMPIAN | • Published September 02, 2009

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Growing up in small-town Wisconsin in the 1950s and ’60s, pork chops were on the family menu at least once a week.

They were only about 30 cents a pound back then, a boon for a tight food budget. However, seasoned with just salt and pepper, my mom pan-fried the daylights out of them. After 20 years of tough, flavorless pork chops, I abandoned them entirely when I began cooking for my family. It took a visit with my son, Bill, to rediscover a far better cut and to put them back into my menu rotation. He prepared a delicious meal with pork sirloin chops.

Boneless and tender, pork sirloin chops are the ideal choice for making a Japanese household favorite, Tonkatsu. Finally, the word succulent could be applied to a dish made with chops. It is also possible to buy a whole loin and then slice it into chops. Remove any pieces of fat on the meat and then cut the loin into pieces about three-quarters of an inch thick.

This dish is simple to prepare, but it does have a few steps. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the counter and arrange the chops on it with plenty of room around each one. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap. Using a meat hammer, pound each one until it is about a half-inch thick. Pick up the plastic wrap and flip the whole thing. Pound the other side of the chops until just about a quarter-inch thick.

Set out three shallow dishes. I have some old pie tins that work perfectly for this task. Put a scoop of flour in one, a lightly beaten egg in another and panko bread crumbs in the third. Panko is found in the Asian section of most supermarkets.

When I pull the plastic wrap off the top of the beaten chops, I put it on a cutting board with the clean side down. Then I can put the battered cutlets on it and set it next to the stove. If you want to prepare your side dishes before frying the chops, simply cover with the other piece of plastic wrap and tuck into the fridge until just a few minutes before you are ready to serve dinner.

Coat each cutlet with flour on both sides. Then dip in the egg and finally coat both sides with the panko. Add more flour, egg and panko to the pans as needed for the quantity of cutlets you are preparing.

When you are ready to fry the cutlets, pour in a thin layer of high smoke-point oil (peanut, grapeseed, safflower, or coconut) in the bottom of a large sauté pan. Set burner to medium high. Heat until a drop of water sizzles in the pan. Fry the pork cutlets for two or three minutes on each side, or until golden brown. If you are making a big batch, put the finished ones in an ovenproof dish and put into a warm (250 degree) oven until ready to serve.

Tonkatsu is traditionally served on a bed of Napa cabbage. Slice it very thin and soak in cold water and then drain. Arrange on a serving platter or individual plates and put the finished cutlets on the cabbage. Drizzle with Tonkatsu sauce. This product is easily found in Asian markets and in most of the larger supermarkets.

A delicious side dish is vegetable bird’s nests from Trader Joe’s. Each nest is made from onion, carrot and kale and is coated with a light tempura batter. Pop them in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn them over and return to the oven for another 10 minutes for a crunchy, delicious treat.

Together with the Tonkatsu, it’s a meal good enough for company.

Karyn Lindberg has called Olympia home since 1988. She is passionate about cooking and entertaining. She believes good recipes are meant to be shared. You can reach her at cookingkaryn@comcast.net.

SHOPPING LIST

Pork sirloin chops or whole loin

Eggs

Panko bread crumbs

Tonkatsu sauce

PANTRY ITEMS

Flour

Cooking oil