No Recipe Cooking- I Have Four Pork Chops. Now What?

Lord knows I have been there. Shopping at the teeny small town grocery store for the last four years I have seen the same cuts of meat over and over and over and over and over and over and..... until I just can't stand to look at another package of hamburger, chicken breast, pot roast. Pork chops. But hey, I love pork chops, and I just so happen to have a freezer full right now. Two whole boneless pork loins were gifted to me and after butchering them myself and cutting them into whatever sizes and cuts I wanted I ended up with a nice stash of meat, including a few pork chops.

So tonight I am looking at four boneless pork chops. What am I going to make with these guys that is easy, creative, and uses what I have on hand so I don't need to go yet again to the teeny tiny grocery store and wander the seven aisles wishing it was a mega-city-supermarket? I've got a lot of basics in the pantry so what's it going to be? Stir fry? Dragon noodles? Baked with barbeque sauce? Grilled? Mushroom sauce? Hmmmmm.

I also happen to have a humongous bag of dinner rolls. The plan is to divide up into packs of four and freeze, but tonight they are fresh and just waiting to be used. My mind suddenly gets focused.....on using those rolls......on finding the meat mallet.......and panko........and heat.......and I have one egg left...... I'm golden!

My brain comes up with Spicy Tenderloin Sliders and in minutes they are underway. Let's go through it.

I didn't need many ingredients for this- my pork chops, some panko, an egg, a dinner roll for each chop and some cooking oil. I happened to have Habanero Onion Panko from FireFood, and you really ought to get some and play with it in the kitchen- amazing stuff and a great way to get used to hotter peppers without scalding your lower jaw off. The habanero in the panko brings a nice kick of heat that goes away really quickly. It's not scalding like eating a pepper- not at all. You can use plain panko if you prefer, or regular breadcrumbs or even mix a little habanero panko with plain to ease the heat- totally up to you. You'll need a cup or so of crumbs.

Everything in their line of spicy foods is delicious!!

It took me a while to find the meat mallet in my Drawer of Doom in the kitchen- aka the utensil drawer. I almost abandoned this idea but I finally found it. Trim your chops of excess fat and place between layers of heavy plastic wrap. Pound them out so they're between a quarter and a half an inch thick. No need to make them HUGE. These are sliders and I like my tenderloin to have some bite to it. Season with salt and pepper or a meat rub/seasoning you like, dip in the egg (which you have beaten in a shallow bowl) then coat with the panko, really pressing it in the meat. Place on a baking sheet that has a little oil spread around in there. You could use cooking spray but I like the crunchy texture the oil gives- kind of like frying even though we're not.

Pop them in the oven at 425 degrees for 35 minutes and they will be a perfect crispy golden brown when they come out, I promise. Split a couple dinner rolls per person and top each with a chop and the condiments of your choice- I went classic with onions, mustard and sliced pickle. Go with easy sides like chips or a salad you grabbed at the deli and dinner is on the table in a flash. No recipe !!!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."