Panko-Crusted Pork with Plum Sauce

In the mood for some Asian cuisine? Look no further! This pork and plum sauce was very delicious. It also takes very little to fix. You'd have dinner ready quicker than it would take the Chinese delivery guy to bring you your food!

This was my first time using panko crumbs. But I can tell you that after tonight, it will be a staple in my cabinet! The cookbook states that, "Panko (PAHN-ko) crumbs are coarse, Japanese-style bread crumbs that are made from crustless bread. These crumbs lend a light and crispy coating to the pork." Coating the pork in the panko crumbs added some good flavor to  the pork, something different from what we're used to. Very tasty! You can find panko crumbs in the Asian section of your grocery store.

Now, the plum sauce. I can't lie to you guys - I didn't actually make the plum sauce. I bought some jarred plum sauce. I know, I know... if you are completely disgusted with me and never want to read my blog again then I understand. BUT, I didn't skip out on making it from scratch for no good reason! I had every intention of making the plum sauce, but my grocery store (whom I have complained about in this blog several times before for not carrying items that I need for my cooking), did not have any plum preserves. There wasn't even a spot on the shelf for it. SO, I found some jarred plum sauce (also found in the Asian section) that had the exact same ingredients that the cookbook listed for the made-from-scratch plum sauce.

The plum sauce that I bought was really good! The tart flavor of the plum sauce very nicely balanced out the flavor of the panko-crusted pork. Everything was delicious! Give this recipe a try next time you are in the mood for some (very quick) Asian food!

Panko-Crusted Pork with Plum Sauce
Pampered Chef Cooking for Two & More
Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2006.

Prep time: 20 minutes  Total time: About 30 minutes  Yield: 2 servings

Pork
2 boneless pork loin chops, cut 3/4-inch thick (5-6 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Plum Sauce
1/4 cup plum preserves
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh gingerroot
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions with tops

1. For pork, flatten pork to 1/4-inch thickness using toothed side of Meat Tenderizer; trim excess fat. Season both sides of pork with salt. Lightly dredge pork in flour, shaking off excess; dip into beaten egg and then into panko crumbs, coating generously.
2. Heat oil in (10-in.) Skillet over medium heat until hot. Add pork; cook 4-6 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown and pork is no longer pink in center, turning once. Remove pork from Skillet; drain on paper towels.
3. Meanwhile, for plum sauce, combine preserves, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and ginerroot in (1.5-qt.) Saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until heated through. Slice pork lengthwise into 4-5 strips; serve with sauce and garnish with green onions.