PICKLE SCHNITZEL-PICKLE-BRINED PORK CHOPS WITH SWEET AND SPICY PEPPERS

Pickle Schnitzel-Pickle-Brined Pork Chops with Sweet and Spicy Peppers image

Provided by Jeff Mauro, host of Sandwich King

Time 8h50m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 cup dill pickle juice (preferably leftover from a jar of pickles)
1 cup whole sweet piquante peppers from a deli olive bar, such as Peppadews, plus 1/4 cup of the pepper juice
Four 1-inch-thick bone-in pork chops
2 orange bell peppers, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, whisked
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
8 lemon wedges, for serving

Steps:

Combine the pickle juice, pepper juice and pork chops in a large zipper-top bag. Brine at least overnight and at most 24 hours, flipping the bag halfway through.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Toss the piquante peppers, bell peppers and onions with the olive oil in a bowl. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast until slightly charred and soft, about 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 200 degrees F and keep warm until ready to serve.
Take the chops out of the bag (discard the brine) and dry them off with paper towels. Place a chop between plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until 1/2 inch thick. Make sure you pound around the bone but keep the bone intact; this adds flavor and plating dramatics. Repeat with the remaining chops.
Set up an F. E. B. station with flour, egg and breadcrumbs in separate shallow containers; season the breadcrumbs with salt and pepper. Season each chop with salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour, coat with the egg and then coat in the breadcrumbs, ensuring the breadcrumbs adhere to all the nooks and crannies.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and heat until very hot. Working in 2 batches, fry the chops 2 at a time until golden on each side, 4 to 5 minutes a side. Keep the chops warm on a wire-racked baking sheet in the oven while you repeat with the remaining chops.
Plate each chop over a serving of the peppers and onions and serve with 2 lemon wedges to squeeze on top.