I did not have a clue what I was going to make for dinner, so I thumbed through a great cookbook,
This cookbook has come in handy since Doug and I became empty-nesters.
With appropriate portion sizes and accurate ingredient lists, every recipe has been a winner so far.
Last night, it was Crispy Pan-Fried Pork Chops.
The recipe calls for cornflakes; however, neither Doug, nor I like cereal, so the leftover cornflakes would have been a waste.
But we LOVE RITZ crackers; therefore, I made my crust mixture using RITZ and it was great.
All you need are a few pantry staples:
- 3/4 cup cornstarch + 1/3 cup cornstarch (separated)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups Ritz crackers
- Salt and pepper
- 3 (3-4 oz) boneless pork chops, about 1/2″ thick
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- Lemon wedges
DIRECTIONS
I recommend setting up three sheet pans, covered in aluminum foil, one LARGE sheet pan, and two smaller pans with baking racks.
In the LARGE sheet pan (covered in foil), spread out the 3/4 cup of cornstarch.
Make sure it is only on 1/2 of the pan.
Place your Ritz crackers (approximately 20-22 crackers) in a zip lock bag.
Using a meat tenderizer (smooth side only) mash up the crackers, into a coarse powder.
Add the remaining 1/3 cup of cornstarch and garlic powder to the bag.
Seal the bag. Mix up.
Place the mixture on the remaining side of your foil-covered, large sheet pan.
Believe me, you will thank me for this tip – easy clean up!
In a shallow dish, slightly larger than your pork chops. Whisk together the buttermilk and mustard. This is your breading station.
With a sharp knife, cut 1/16-inch deep slits on both sides of the pork chops, spaced 1/2 inch apart, in crosshatch pattern.
This prevents the chops from curling up during the cooking process.
Pat pork chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
Work with 1 pork chop at a time…
FIRST: press each chop in the plain cornstarch portion of your breading station.
Turn over and press again.
Gently brush off excess flour on each side.
Made sure each chop only has a very light coating of cornstarch.
SECOND: Place each chop, one at a time, in the buttermilk mixture.
Make sure to liberally coat each side.
Allow excess to drip off.
FINALLY: press each chop in the Ritz cracker mixture.
Make sure breading is pressed in firmly.
Transfer coated chops to prepared rack and let sit for 10 minutes.
Heat oil in 12-inch, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Carefully place chops in skillet and cook until golden brown and crisp on first side, 4-5 minutes.
You will see the edge of each chop turning brown, when ready to turn.
Flip chops and cook until second side is golden brown and crisp.
Pork is done when the internal temperatures reaches 145º.
Remove chops from the pan and place on a wire rack to rest for 4-5 minutes before serving.
I highly recommend a brown gravy and mashed potatoes to pair with these Crispy Fried Pork Chops.
Creamy Parmesan Mashed Potatoes 
Ritz Coated Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoon Dijon mustard I added TWO Tablespoons
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder minced
- 22 Ritz crackers
- Salt and pepper
- 3 3-4 oz boneless pork chops about 1/2" thick
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Line three rimmed baking sheets with aluminium foil.
- Place 3/4 cup of the cornstarch on one side of your baking sheet.
- In second shallow dish, whisk buttermilk and mustard until combined.
- Place Ritz crackers in a zip lock bag and crush with a meat tenderizer.
- Add garlic powder and the remaining 1/3 cup of cornstarch to the zip lock bag. Seal and mix ingredients together.
- Transfer Ritz cracker mixture to the opposite side of your sheet pan.
- With a sharp knife, cut 1/16-inch deep slits on opposite edges of the pork chops. This prevents the chops from curling up during the cooking process.
- Pat pork chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Work with 1 pork chop at a time, dredge in cornstarch and shake off excess.
- Coat in buttermilk mixture, allowing excess to drip off.
- Finally, dredge in Ritz cracker mixture.
- Transfer coated chops to baking rack, placed on a sheet pan. Allow chops to rest for 10 minutes.
- Heat oil in 12-inch, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Carefully place chops in skillet and cook until golden brown and crisp on first side, 4-5 minutes.
- Flip chops and cook until the second side is golden brown and crisp. Pork is done when the internal temperatures reach 145º.
- Place cooked chops on a clean baker's rack and allow them to rest for 4-5 minutes before serving.
