While very tasty, this brown mushroom-walnut ketchup wins no prize for beauty, yet it’s a terrific partner to crunchy oven-baked pork chops. Consider serving the whole wheat panko-Parmesan crusted meat atop a large spoonful of the mushroom mixture. The ketchup is also great on lamb chops.
See other related recipes in New Fruity, Savory, and Spicy Ketchups—No Tomatoes Added
Yield: 4 pork chops; 2 cups of ketchup
Prep time: 45 minutes for ketchup; 35 minutes for pork chops
Shelf life: The pork chops are best eaten within one to two days after being refrigerated; ketchup lasts at least two weeks under refrigeration
Ingredients
Mushroom Ketchup
½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 ounces onions, sliced
½ ounce garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
10 ounces baby Bella or Portobello mushrooms
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons horseradish Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons tamarind paste
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Generous pinch ground black pepper
Baked Parmesan-Panko Crusted Pork Chops
Olive oil spray
1 cup whole wheat panko
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ cup flour
Salt and ground black pepper
1 large egg, plus 1 tablespoon of water
4 boneless center cut pork chops, about 3/4-inch thick
Method
Mushroom Ketchup
- Soak the porcini mushrooms in 1 cup of warm water until softened, about 25 minutes. Strain the liquid, reduce to 3/4 cup, and reserve.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium-size pan over medium heat. Add the onion, partially cover, and sauté until golden brown, about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
- Combine the Portobello mushrooms and soaked dried mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and scrape into the pan with the onion. Add the soaking liquid, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, honey, tamarind paste, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes, return to the food processor, and purée until almost smooth. Transfer to a clean container, cover, and refrigerate.
Baked Parmesan-Panko Crusted Pork Chops
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray or brush a flat baking pan with oil.
- Combine the panko, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning in a flat bowl. Beat the egg and tablespoon of water together in a second bowl and put the flour in a third bowl. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge them in flour, dip in the egg, and press firmly into the panko mixture to coat well. Lay the chops in the pan and spray lightly with oil.
- Bake until the crust is brown and the meat measures about 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 23 to 26 minutes. Let stand for about 5 minutes. The temperature will rise to 145 degrees as they sit outside of the oven.
- Serve the pork chops atop a large spoonful of the mushroom mixture.
