Crispy Parmesan-Sage Pork Chops

After an excruciating 3-hour hike on Sunday, getting out of bed Monday morning was definitely a challenge. Fortunately my body did  not decide to hate me, so I felt only minimal soreness in my legs and bum. Energy, however, decided to completely vacate the premises of my existence for the entire day. And eating these chops for lunch, definitely did not help matters. A bit heavy for lunch, but so damn good.

I have searched high and low for pork chop recipes that would taste good after I cooked them, and this one by far takes 1st prize. While they aren’t the healthiest version, they definitely tasted amazing…crunchy outside, but moist and flavorful with every bite. They don’t reheat quite as well, but for a made-to-order dinner they were spectacular! Decreasing the butter and oil by half (or a little more than half) would definitely help with the healthy-factor, but still allow you to get the crispy outside.

Crispy Parmesan Sage Pork Chops

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, dried rubbed sage and lemon zest.
3. Mix flour, salt & pepper in a shallow dish. In another dish, whisk the eggs.
4. Coat pork chops with flour, then dip in the egg, and finally dip in bread crumb mixture. 
5.  Melt butter and olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chops until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to oven and bake about 20 minutes (150 degrees on a meat thermometer).