Hemp-Crusted Pork Loin
The Inspiration…
My husband, Tom, loves breaded pork chops. If I ever ask the question “What should we have for dinner this week?”, his answer is pork chops and mashed potatoes. He is the definition of a “meat and potatoes guy”. He can’t help it. It is genetic. If you looked up “meat and potatoes guy” online, you would see a picture of Tom’s dad.
Last night I had big plans for dinner. I was going to make some soup and drop biscuits, but by the time I got out of work I just wasn’t in the mood. I wanted something easy, that I knew Tom would love, and it would be a win-win situation. I was fresh out of pork chops, but I had a pork loin in the freezer. I quickly thawed it out and sliced it into 5 individual portions. I pounded each of those portions out between two pieces of parchment paper, and *voila*, I had “pork chops”.
I normally like to bread the chops in seasoned panko, but as I reached for the container, I realized I only had about 1/2 cup left. I prefer the crunch of the panko breading to that of regular breadcrumbs, so I rummaged through my pantry to see what I had to mimic that texture. That’s when it hit me. Hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds) would be perfect! They have a slight crunch, a nutty flavor, plus are packed with nutritional benefits. If you don’t have hemp hearts, go ahead and use all panko. I will say though, that I will never go back to all panko after this dinner. The hemp hearts turned out to be perfect in the breading. If you’re not on the hemp heart bandwagon yet, you should be. Not only are they tasty but they are packed with nutrients!! In 3 TBSP of the brand I use, there is 10g Protein, 12g Omegas 3&6, 20% of your daily iron intake, 25% of your Thiamin (B1) intake, plus 45% and 100% daily intake levels of magnesium and manganese, respectively. The list doesn’t end there. Long story short - try hemp hearts.
First step is to season your breading. Mix your panko, hemp hearts, salt, smoked paprika, chili powder, and oregano together. You’ll dredge each piece of pork in flour, then egg, then the seasoned breading. Cook them up on the stove. Dinner is done!
Tom’s favorite way to eat pork chops is with mashed potatoes and a vegetable. Tonight, we opted for my Garlicky Green Beans with Blistered Tomatoes.
The pork is tender from pounding it out. The breading is flavorful and crispy. Let me tell you, I will be making this again. And again, and again, and again. I hope you do, too!
Hemp Crusted Pork
Ingredients
- One Pork Loin, 1 1/2 - 2 LBS.
- 1/2 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup hemp hearts
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 2 TBSP butter
Instructions
- Start by cutting your pork loin into 5 portions. Between two pieces of parchment paper, use a mallet* to pound each piece of meat until they are about 3/4 inch thick and uniform.
- On a dinner-sized plate, combine the panko, hemp, and seasoning.
- In a small bowl, beat the two eggs.
- Put the flour on a separate plate.
- Season the pork with salt and pepper, then dredge each piece with flour, then egg, and finally coat in the seasoned breadcrumbs mixture.
- Heat the butter and oil in a large sauté pan/cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, carefully place each piece of pork in. Cook about 3-4 minutes on each side. Turn the heat down to medium low when you flip the pork to the second side. **
Notes
*If you don't have a meat mallet, get creative. I use a rolling pin/dowel. You could use a can of soup, or the bottom of a saucepan.
**Please note that the USDA recommends cooking pork to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F, which is well done. Cooking pork to other degrees of doneness should be done at the cook's discretion.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
351.51Fat
22.27Sat. Fat
5.74Carbs
23.54Fiber
2.00Net carbs
21.54Sugar
1.42Protein
15.74Sodium
665.88Cholesterol
100.21Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.