Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Recipes and Q's

About 5 years ago, my company was doing a fund raising thing and the Marketing Department decided they wanted to do a cookbook.  As someone known for being a general wiseass, especially when it came to writing things, one of the Marketers came to me to contribute a recipe.

Now, I don’t have a lot of tricks up my sleeve here.  I can cook pretty well for a guy that doesn’t make much from scratch.  And I do have a way with a few dishes of the “meat” variety.  (For a closer look into my culinary mind, see the post Vegetables Redux, which features Bluz’ Rules of Vegetables and Bluz Rules of Meat.)

I wasn’t as much interested in contributing a dazzling recipe, as I was interested in writing the funniest recipe in the book.  While there wasn’t much competition in this category, I was rather proud of it.  Not that it’s a bad good recipe; on the contrary, it’s the bomb.  It’s also one I basically figured out on my own.

With that, I humbly submit:

Pork Chops of the Gods
First of all, pork chops are not just what’s for dinner, they’re a state of mind…  Zen and the Art of Pork Chops.  Few things in life are as satisfying as a good pork chop, except maybe several good pork chops.  While there are many ways to prepare these divine morsels, tonight’s exercise will cover breaded chops.

To end up with good chops, one must start with good chops, so while grocery shopping, select center cut, boneless chops, about 4 to a pound, roughly a half-inch thick.  Save the cheap, bone-in variety packs for when the in-laws come for dinner.

Turn the oven to 425° .
As it heats, begin preparation.  (I avoid the use of the word “pre-heat”, because really, what does “pre-heat” mean, to heat the oven before you heat the oven?)

First prepare the breading.  A mixture of breadcrumbs, grated parmesan cheese and a quarter teaspoon of black pepper make a nice base, or you can go easy and use one of the Shake-n-Bake flavors for pork.  As opposed to using the bag, I like to cover the surface of a paper plate with the breading ingredients and mix them up with a fork. 

Next, cover the surface of a small saucer or dish with Worcestershire sauce, then add a dollop or two of barbeque sauce and mix together with a fork.  Mmmmm, smell that?  That’s the smell of potential!  This will be your baste, which in addition to being mighty tasty, also helps the bread crumbs stick to the chops.  You can also add a splash of wine, if you like, to either the baste or yourself. 

Take a cookie sheet, or shallow baking pan, and line it with foil.  (This is one of my favorite Cleanup Prevention techniques.  When the meal is done, you can just roll up the foil and pitch it, leaving a nice clean pan without washing.  I’d line my coffee cup with foil, if I could figure out how to keep it from leaking.)

Now, open your package of pork chops.  I can’t emphasize this enough.  The chops must be removed from the package, or the breading just won’t stick, no matter how much baste you use.  Also, be sure to remove that little packet that sometimes lines the bottom of the tray.  One time my sister was making a chicken stir-fry while she was enjoying quite a few splashes of wine.  Later, she noticed that her stir-fry had an odd texture and later realized that she had carved up that packet right along with the chicken.  Extra fiber, I guess.  So be careful with that wine! 

Now where was I… OK, pull off any excess fat that you can… Lean is Good!

Take a chop and dip the top, bottom and sides into the baste.  Then drop one side down into the plate of breading.  Pick up the chop and ensure that it is evenly covered with the breading.  Next, roll the sides of the chop into the breading.  Leave one side of the chop unbreaded and place it bare side down on the cookie sheet.  (You can bread the bottom side if you want, but chances are that when you take the chop out of the pan, all the breading will be left behind on the foil.)  Tap the sides of the paper plate to evenly redistribute the breading, before repeating the process on each chop.  Wash the breading gunk off your hands and wait for the oven to reach 425°.  Now have some more wine.

At this point, I highly recommend doing the Pork Chop Dance.  This is a ritual dance to appease the Pork Chop gods, who if left unappeased, may smite you with dry pork chops.  The details of the Pork Chop Dance are left to the dancer, so each may interpret as they please.  If you’re stuck, just imagine what Snoopy does and go from there.  I am highly secretive about mine.  I once let someone see one of my other food preparation dances, and the next thing I knew, it was being done at weddings all over the country.  You’ve probably seen it… I was making chicken at the time.  But I digress…

When oven hits 425°, put in the chops, and cook for 15 minutes.  If chops are any thicker than a half inch, you may need to add another minute or two.  When time is up, remove from oven and test for firmness.  Chops should be firm but not hard.  If still soft, you can always put them back in for another minute or two.  But be careful, you don’t want them to be dry.  That said, pour the wine, and enjoy!  
The author, engaging in his Pork Chop Dance at a NW Ohio hog roast.

That was what was published in the cookbook and it turned out to be a hit.  And yes, that picture was included too.  After I submitted the story and got some laughs from the woman putting the book together, I made the mistake of sending her that picture.  That was me, in the only known visual evidence of the Pork Chop Dance, performing it prior to our Barn Reunion hog roast. 

Much to my chagrin, she then insisted on using it in the book… said I must have wanted it in the book or else I wouldn’t have sent it to her in the first place.  OK, maybe there was a kernel of truth to that.  I probably just wanted it to be her idea.  Mine was the only recipe with a picture.

I did notice people gave me a lot more room on the elevator after that.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

I feel as though, after lurking around for quite some time, I need to break down and leave a comment. I found your blog through comments you left at That's Church and Burgh Baby and I've clearly enjoyed it since I keep coming back. And I'm even a Republican (gasp!). So while we clearly disagree on our politics, you always make me laugh and there's certainly some things we can agree on--most importantly our mutual admiration for all things black and gold. I also happen to love pork chops and will be trying this recipe out. I may even put a few vegetables on the side. Thanks so much for writing...you (almost) always put a smile on my face.

~Michelle

bluzdude said...

Michelle:
Thanks so much for visiting and commenting!

And thank you for the kind words. My main objective really is just to make people laugh. The politics is just a sidelight that bubbles to the top when I get severely pissed off... Sometimes I think I should just have different blogs for different purposes.

Then I think... "nahhhh, that would be a whole lotta work..." lol... and the idea is gone again.

But it's all good. The black and gold supersedes politics or ideology. And any friend of That's Church and Burgh Baby is a friend of mine. Welcome!

one-eyed dick said...

I personally would be hard pressed to come up with an entry for a cook book; would probably have to be something like: Shaner's Pizza 925-4551, large mushroom and green peppers for pickup.

Also, I'm going to quit hanging around here if you're going to let Republicans in. Did she pay her $25 entrance fee like you charged me??

bluzdude said...

Dick:
No fee... It's Ladies Night. I know I lean towards meat, but that doesn't mean I want a sausage fest around here...

Mary Ann said...

or blog to a cracker...Thank you again for your pork chop recipe which I need about every five years, for New Years guests who aren't satisfied with lentils.
Now, you are incredibly brave to allow a glimpse of the pork chop dance. This hallowed ritual is NOT for the uninitiated! Homage to the Pork Chop Gods is not for the merely curious with unappreciative appetites.
I trust you will restrain yourself and confine further ecstatic demonstrations to the privacy of your patio, protected by a halo of grill smoke.
And a red pencil thwack to the cookbok editor who published the sacred, secret homage to porcine divinity.

stilladog said...

You might also try McCormick's Sweet & Smokey rub on your chops in lieu of the breading. It's a cinnamon & chipolte blend that works better on pork chops than any other meat. I use it all the time whether grilling or baking my pigmeat.

bluzdude said...

Mary Ann:
That was my mistake... I did the Pork Chop Dance out in the open. Damned paparazzi...

Dog:
Sounds good. "Excuse me, Hon, I have to go rub my pork."

The Guy's Perspective said...

I love the picture!

It's funny, I was thinking of pork chops the other day, and the fact that I haven't eaten one in over twenty years.

When I was trying to learn how to cook in college I discovered pork chops. I was coaching a boys soccer team and one of the fathers invited me over to eat. He was pure Italian and he said the secret to his sauce was pork chops. I sat with him the whole time while he taught me how to make his sauce. A very cool secret to share. Of course, mine never tasted quite like his. I guess it's one of those things you had to grow up with. But I do make a good chicken curry dish. And chick peas and green beans.

Sally-Sal said...

That's my kinda cooking. Wine, the Snoopy dance, meat....

Your post cracked me up. Happy Friday!

bluzdude said...

GUY:
We Italians can be very secretive about our sauce. You're lucky you got to witness an original creation.

I have our family recipe for our tomato sauce but I admit, I don't usually make it from scratch any more. (Even before Pinky started doing all the cooking.) I normally just use Prego and if I feel like it, add some of the "family secret" spices. Grandma would be unimpressed.

Sally:
Happy Friday to you too. If you cracked up, I feel I've done my job.

Thanks for coming by and for the kind words. I really enjoy your blog. You have quite a way with a story... A steamy hot way.

Hey everybody, be sure to read No. Adult. Supervision. Link is on my blogroll.