Italian Bread Crumb/Panko Encrusted Boneless Pork Chops with Tomato Salsa

Recipe By: Alice Morrow

Italian Bread Crumb/Panko Encrusted Boneless Pork Chops with Tomato Salsa

Ingredients

Tomato Salsa:
2 c. diced tomatoes (I like to use the tri-color sweet Luna tomatoes, but use what you can get. I try to get the red, yellow and orange colored ones.)
4 oz. California Sun-Dried julienne cut tomatoes with herbs packed in oil
¼ c. of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes
¼ c. minced red onion
1 T. chopped fresh basil
Kosher salt, black pepper and garlic powder
1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Season to taste and set aside.
Pork Chops:
4-6 thin boneless pork chops
1 c. Ken’s Creamy Vidalia Onion Dressing (or your favorite dressing to marinade)
Salt, red/black pepper, garlic powder
1 ½ c. seasoned Italian bread crumbs
1 ½ c. panko bread crumbs
1 (8-oz.) container baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
¼-1/2 c. red wine or broth
Olive oil
Green onions, chopped

Instructions

Season pork chops and place in ziplock bag and pour dressing over them. Seal bag and with hands, manipulate the bag so that the dressing mixes with the pork chops. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
In another plastic bag, combine the two bread crumbs.
Remove the pork chops from marinade (discard marinade) and place in bread crumb bag. Press the crumbs into the chops.
In a large skillet, drizzle olive oil in bottom to cover it.
Over medium heat, heat oil. Gently place chops in skillet and brown on each side 3 minutes. Carefully turning them. If skillet is not big enough to cook all of them, without touching, then do in 2 batches. If you place to close, they steam instead of searing.
Remove the chops and drain on paper towel.
Lower heat on skillet and drain off excess oil.
Place skillet back on heat and saute the mushrooms, gradually adding wine and let wine cook out. Season to taste. You can sub broth for wine if you like.
Nestle the chops back into the skillet with the mushrooms.
Top each chop with the tomato salsa (no need to heat the salsa). Garnish with chopped green onions and serve with your favorite risotto, noodles, rice, mashed potatoes or yams.

Notes

*****You can use leftover salsa in many dishes like veggies, dips, etc.