The Kitchen Play National Pork Board Challenge
One of my favorite dishes as a child was shake and bake pork chops. It turns out I’m not alone. According to 1000 Americans recently surveyed by The National Pork Board, more and more people are turning to retro dishes as a way of honoring nostalgic memories and returning to a simpler time.
That’s why – after salivating over the fabulous holiday menu that Kitchen Play and The National Pork Board presented to food bloggers for their December challenge – Julie’s Shake and Coconut Bake Pork Chops with Rice inspired me to create a tropical twist on this American classic!
Coconut Macadamia Crusted Pork Chops
Coconut Macadamia Crusted Pork Chops is a succulent stuffed pork chop that is coated in an incredible coconut and macadamia nut crust and filled with prosciutto, plantain and mozarella! It tastes scrumptious and tender on its own, and is absolutely divine when topped with a palate-pleasing Pineapple Rum Sauce!
Ingredients
4 Thick (1 Inch Minimum) Bone-In Center Cut Pork Chops
1 13 ½ Ounce Can of Coconut Milk
½ Cup Soy Sauce
½ Cup Bread Crumbs
2 Cups Shredded Coconut
1 Cup Chopped Macadamia Nuts (2 ¼ Ounces – 2 Packages)
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1 Teaspoon Powdered Ginger
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ Teaspoon Onion Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Pepper
8 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter, Melted
1 Plantain, Cut Into Four 2 x 4 Inch Slices, ¼ Inch Thick
1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar
8 Slices Mozzarella Cheese
4 Long Slices Prosciutto
Instructions
1. In a bowl, mix together the coconut milk, soy sauce, and honey. Set aside.
2. In a small casserole dish, mix together the bread crumbs, shredded coconut, macadamia nuts, paprika, ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
Steps 1 & 2 – Coconut Milk Mixture & Bread Crumb Mixture
3. Rinse the pork chops and pat them dry. With a boning knife, slice through each pork chop to the bone, creating a large pocket in the pork chop.
Step 3 – Create A Pocket In The Pork Chop
4. Melt the butter in a small to medium frying pan.
5. Place 4 plantain slices in the frying pan and coat with butter.
6. Sprinkle with brown sugar.
7. Cook evenly on both sides until the plantains begin to brown and the sugar begins to caramelize. Set aside to cool.
Step 7 – Caramelized Plantains
8. Take 1 slice of mozzarella and fold it in half.
9. Place 1 slice of plantain on top of the mozzarella.
10. Fold another slice of mozzarella in half and place it on top of the plantain, creating a little sandwich.
11. Wrap the sandwich with a slice of the prosciutto.
Steps 8 thru 11 – Create The Pork Chop Filling
12. Complete Steps 8 thru 11 for the remaining slices of plantain.
13. Place 1 prosciutto-wrapped sandwich within the pocket of each pork chop.
Step 13 – Stuff The Pork Chop
14. Dip each pork chop in the coconut milk mixture first coating completely, and then press each pork chop into the bread crumb mixture, covering it completely. Set aside.
Step 14 – Coat The Pork Chops (Dip Or Shake – The Choice Is Yours!)
15. Heat up 2 tablespoons of coconut oil on medium high heat in a frying pan. Add 1 pork chop to the hot oil and let it sear for a minute or two on each side until golden brown. Add another two tablespoons of oil as needed between pork chops. Set the chop in a baking dish when done and repeat the process for the remaining chops. Cover the baking dish with foil to seal in moisture.
Step 15 – Sear The Pork Chops
16. Place the chops into a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chops reaches 145 degrees (this is the new, USDA-approved temperature for pork!)
Step 16 – Bake The Pork Chops
17. The baked pork chops are delicious paired with Risotto. For an extra special treat, top with Pineapple Rum Sauce (see the instructions below).
Step 17 – Serve The Sauce Within An Onion Garnish
Pineapple Rum Sauce
Ingredients
4-6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 ½ Cups Pineapple, Medium Diced
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons White Onions, Minced
½ Cup Coconut Rum
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1 Teaspoon Garlic
1 Small Tomato, Seeded and Finely Diced
Instructions
1. In a small sauce pan, add 2 tablespoons of butter. When the butter starts to brown, add the pineapple and cook until the edges start to caramelize.
2. Add the brown sugar and mix thoroughly.
3. Add the onions and garlic and bring the mixture to a simmer.
4. Add the rum and flambé the ingredients. When the flame dies down, add chicken stock and bring to another simmer. Reduce the liquid by half.
5. Add the tomato and the remaining butter to thicken sauce.
Hi! Newly following from Foodie Friday. These chops look incredible! Add prosciutto to just about anything and I’m there. Love the whole sweet and savory aspect too. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Have a Happy and Healthy New Year!
Hey!
I just wanted to say Happy New Year!
And I’d also like to thank you for being my top referrer for 2011 😀
I’ve thanked you in a post here as well:
http://thegentleflower.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-top-10-referrers-from-2011-sale.html
Thank you 🙂
Katrine 🙂
That recipe looks so good! I’m excited to try it!
I’m stopping by from the hop and am following you in all ways possible 🙂 Would love it if you’d visit my Facebook page
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blog rss
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and twitter page
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Thanks!
Rachel
OH my now this looks so Yummy! Gosh I am hungry now. lol
Thanks for sharing such a delicious dish because I love baked pork chops.
Wanted to come by and wish you a very Happy New Year.
Love
Maggie
Oh my!! Now that looks too good! I’m gonna have to add this to my menu!! Thanks for sharing and thanks for linking up with us for some Super Stalking!
Happy New Year!
Kortney @ Kortney’s Krazy Life!
Beautiful post..fabulous..great pics too! Enjoy your feast!
wishing you a wonderful magical new year!
Victoria
Wow! I love meat stuffed with more meat! Lol. It looks absolutley amazing. Have a Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
Happy new year. I love your blog name. I am following you from the Reflexions bloghop. 🙂
Oh my goodness, that looks delicious!
great pictures! Would love for you to come over and share at my Tasty Tuesday party. It will be open later tonight through Friday. Happy New Year. http://nap-timecreations.blogspot.com
Those pork chops look wonderful! I’m here from the Alexa Hop. I’d love it if you’d stop by my blog and check my blog out.
wow, that looks so fancy and tempting. I ‘m from Jamaica and love coconut inspired things.
I’m having a link party on my blog today if you want to come over and share this I’d be just tickled pink! Here’s the link if you’re interested! http://caribbeanmissionarywife.blogspot.com/2012/01/t-time-51-and-link-party.html Happy New Year, Maria
wow! love the combination of flavors!
What a fantastic recipe! I’m going to try this sometime this week. Thanks for sharing.
I’m sure you’re quite busy but I wanted to stop by to let you know I’m tagging you! Please stop by my blog to read the post and pick up your questions.
http://debrasdollars.blogspot.com/2012/01/ive-been-tagged.html
Have a great evening!
~Debra
YUM!! I will try anything with coconut, and this recipe sounds absolutely delicious 🙂
Paula
lifeasweknowitbypaula.blogspot.com
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Thanks Paula – I was so pleased with how this came out – I cannot wait to make this again! 🙂
This looks delicious! I think I need some tonight. Glad you shared this on Tuesday’s Tasty Tidbits last week and I hope you will come back this week.
Wow, I love hte idea of encrusting pork chops with macademia and coconut. Thanks for sharing this recipe with the Hearth and Soul Hop.
Twitter: apriljharris
says:
This sounds like an amazing dish! I like the idea of the macadamia and coconut with the pineapple rum sauce – delicious! Thank you for sharing it with the Hearth and Soul hop.
Wow! This look delicious!!! I’m having a linky party, and would love it if you joined! Here is the link! http://www.thesouthernproductqueen.com Thanks for sharing!
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Thank you so much! I linked up and have added you to my list of creative blog hops! 🙂
Check out my features-you’re in my TOP 10. Grab a “I’ve been featured” button.
http://itssoverycheri.com/2012/01/21/top-10-features-from-1-1-2012-party/
Cheri from Its So Very Cheri
I’m so happy that you decided to join Seasonal Sundays. Hope you’ll be here next week too!
– The Tablescaper
The flavor in that sauce looks stunning! I’m trying to fathom it. It all just looks so savory! I would love to try this! Found you on LOBS 🙂
That looks absolutely delectable. Although I usually glaze over any recipe with more than 4 ingredients, I think I’m going to have to break down and try this one. We’ve been on a pork kick lately, so it makes it even better. Thanks!
Oh my goodness! I couldn’t even get through the title without my mouth watering. This is now a “must try!”
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
This dish was amazing Cherri – hope you have a chance to try it! 🙂
I love any kind of “crusted” meat and this sounds absolutely delicious! Thanks so much for hosting a great link party!
xoxo
Lisa
Those look so delicious! We were just talking about Shake n Bake yesterday and my boys had no idea what we were talking about so I told them I was going to look for it at the store next time I went and they could try it. I like this idea much better. Pinned.
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Thanks for pinning Joanne – this recipe is amazing!
WAY better than the shake and bake in a box that we grew up on! 🙂
Those sound and look incredible!! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party! Have a great week.
Every time I look at these my mouth waters!! Thanks for sharing at our party!
This looks and sounds amazing and definitely one to try…:)
How did I grow up in the 60’s and 70’s and miss Shake n Bake pork chops??
Oh boy, these sound fantastic. Bookmarking this to try later.
Visiting today from #122
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
This was one of the last meals I shared with my Mom so it now has extra special meaning to me!