The pork chop is a rather lean cut that lends itself to many recipes. You can prepare it in a shortcrust pastry crust with a tasty side dish of purple carrots, but in reality very simple to make. Let’s have a look at the crusted pork chops ingredients of it:
Ingredients
Recipe Time: 30 mints
Pork chops | 4 |
Pastry | 200 gr. |
Purple carrots | 300 gr. |
Salt flakes | According to taste |
Eliminate Excess Fats:
First of all, it is necessary to subject the chops to initial cooking, placing them on the evolution plate and cooking them on the low grill for 8 minutes at 205°C, fan high. This step is essential to ensure that, when the dish is finished, the meat inside and the crust on the outside are both cooked to perfection. Furthermore, this will eliminate excess fats in the meat which would otherwise be absorbed by the crust in the subsequent cooking phase.
After pre-cooking:
After pre-cooking, let the chops cool for a few minutes, then wrap them in the shortcrust pastry, sealing all sides well. Then cut the purple carrots into thin slices and arrange them together with the chops on the evolution plate. Cook everything on the low grill at 180°C for 10 minutes, fan on high. At the end of cooking, plate the chops with the purple carrots, finishing with some salt and the porcini mushrooms.
Pork Chop Recipes: What you need to know?
The chops are made from the pork loin muscle, cut into slices between one rib and the other, and can also be made from a similar cut of veal and lamb. They are a couple of centimeters thick and also include a portion of bone. Pork chops are made from so-called light pigs, i.e. slaughtered when they reach a weight of 100-110 kg, and are therefore a rather lean food. Furthermore, the part of the fat present is easily eliminated because it is visible.
How to cook pork chops?
There are so many recipes with pork chops as this versatile food lends itself to being cooked with the most varied cooking methods: grilled, in a pan with herbs and spices, baked, grilled, breaded, and encrusted, as showed us in the recipe with pork chops in a shortcrust pastry crust with purple carrots. It is also possible to cook stewed chops, seasoned with various sauces that give it a particularly tasty taste. Chops, like pork in general, should be cooked very well right down to the innermost part. But be careful not to overdo it: an overcooked pork chop risks being dry and becoming tough or stringy.
Why are pork chops cooked well?
Pork meat must be cooked well done, at temperatures above 70°C: first of all, in fact, only through complete cooking does the pork reach its maximum flavor; secondly, in this way the danger of contracting diseases from its intake is neutralized, if the pig has been affected by parasites or its meat is contaminated by bacteria. Pork meat, in fact, can lead to contracting trichinosis, a disease produced by a parasitic worm that can be generated in pork meat, trichina, and is subject to contamination by bacteria such as, for example, salmonella.
Sausages and Cured meats:
As regards sausages and cured meats consumed raw, they are subjected to processes that prevent the generation of bacteria during their conservation, but there is still the possibility that the meat has been contaminated in the previous phases. This is why these foods should not be consumed during pregnancy.
Nutritional Properties of Pork Chops:
Pork chops are, as mentioned, a rather lean cut. If we refer to the values reported in the BDA tables for 100 g of light pork steak, the quantity of total lipids is 8 g. Free of carbohydrates, they have a caloric intake of 157 kcal and total proteins of 21.3 g. while the cholesterol content is 62 mg. It is also included in a low carb diet. Mineral salts such as potassium and phosphorus are significantly present, as well as some vitamins, in particular B1, B2, B6, B12, and niacin.
Purple Carrots: Perfect Pairing for Pork Chop Recipes
Serving the delicious pork chops in a shortcrust pastry crust with a side dish of purple carrots. Maybe some of you are wondering what this unusual-coloured vegetable consists of. Purple carrots belong to the same species as the orange ones but are much older (according to some they date back to 2000 BC) and owe their color to anthocyanin, an antioxidant substance with remarkable beneficial properties for our health, which is present in carrots four times more violets than their orange cousins.
Precisely thanks to this characteristic, purple carrots are a panacea for our health, as:
- They have a beneficial effect on the heart.
- They help reduce bad cholesterol.
- They have an anti-carcinogenic action.
- They reduce blood sugar levels.
- They aid digestion.
- They are useful in the case of varicose veins.
- They exert an anti-inflammatory action.
- They fight free radicals and therefore aging.
They also have a low-calorie content and are very rich in vitamins, with a sugar content significantly lower than orange carrots. Furthermore, the significant presence of polyphenols helps prevent cancer, especially colon cancer.
Conclusion:
This preparation can also be made with other types of meat, but pay attention to the cooking time, which will obviously be different. In addition to purple carrots, this tasty dish can be accompanied by a side dish of thinly sliced potatoes and julienned red onions. If at the end of cooking the bottom is slightly moist it is normal as it is the cooking liquid of the meat that moistens the shortcrust pastry.
Eating Munching is a haven for food enthusiasts and culinary adventurers alike. We are passionate about all things related to food, and our platform is dedicated to sharing the joy and excitement of exploring diverse cuisines from around the world.
