Herb Crusted Pork Chops with Balsamic Onions

Today was exhausting – I woke up incredibly tired, worked late, and still managed to fit in a workout. At any rate, when I got home I didn’t want my dinner to be exhausting. Nothing that took extensive prep time or (perhaps most of all) lots of clean up. I turned to something basic – pork chops – jazzed up with a crisp herb crust and sweet balsamic onions.

Serve your finished pork chops with something simple – we made rice (cook it with chicken or vegetable broth instead of water to boost the flavor) and a peppery arugula salad with goat cheese. The whole meal was incredibly fast, and clean up was a snap, but best of all it was warm and deliciously satisfying.

Herb Crusted Pork Chops with Balsamic Onions

Served 4.

Leftover Potential: Reheating the pork in the oven will prevent the crust from losing its crispness. This is a great dish to make extra and re-heat as needed later in the week.

Herb Crusted Pork Chops

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup bread crumbs

1 Tbsp thyme, chopped

1 Tbsp rosemary, chopped

2 tsp sage, chopped, chopped

2 tsp basil, chopped

4 pork chops (or more if desired for extras or leftoverS)

salt, as needed

pepper, as needed

4 Tbsp olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. Prepare a breading station by placing the flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in three separate bowls. Season the bread crumbs with the fresh herbs.

2. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Dip each pork chop into the flour. Shake to remove excess. Then dip into the egg, and then generously coat with bread crumbs. Set aside.

3. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. When the oil is very hot, place the pork chops in and pan fry until golden brown on each side (about 2-3 minutes each side). Transfer the pork chops to a cookie sheet.

4. Place the pork chops in the oven and bake until cooked through (another 5-6 minutes). Remove from the oven and allow to rest briefly. Serve with balsamic onions.

Balsamic Onions

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

salt, as needed

pepper, as needed

1-2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent.

2. Season salt and pepper, and continue cooking until the onions begin to caramelize. Add the balsamic vinegar and continue to cook until the onions are completely caramelized and very soft. Serve on top of the finished pork chops.