Can I Bread Pork Chops With Pancake Mix?

A traditional breaded pork chop recipe calls for a breading of seasoned flour, dried bread crumbs or even crushed crackers, but there's no reason you can't use pancake mix as a breading. Pancake mix is sweeter than most breadings, and creates a crisp, golden crust. A few spices, such as rosemary and chilis, go well with the sweeter flavor.

Most pancake mixes contain just a few ingredients, including flour, sugar, salt and baking soda or powder. Specialty mixes sometimes contain powdered eggs or butter, cornmeal, whole wheat or other grains. These ingredients are all appropriate for breading pork chops. Avoid those that contain chocolate chips or dried fruit, though.

Pancake mix makes a tasty breading for pork chops because its slightly sweet. Multigrain varieties or those containing cornmeal add a nutty taste and a crisp texture. You can add additional seasonings, such as salt, pepper, rosemary or even chili powder for even more flavor.

To bread pork chops with pancake mix, preheat your oven or grill to 350 degrees. Soak the pork chops in milk amended with garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper and perhaps a little white wine. While it's more common to dip pork chops in eggs or butter, the milk tenderizes them. Drain the pork chops and dredge them in the pancake mix, coating all sides thoroughly. At this point, you can put them directly in the oven or you can brown them in a frying pan that contains a bit of oil. Bake pork chops for 45 minutes, or until the flesh is firm and no longer pink, or grill them for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the flesh is white and the juices run clear. Serve breaded pork chops with mashed potatoes, greens or even milk gravy.

Pork chops are the most often purchased cut of pork and come from the portion of the animal that runs from the shoulder to the hip. Pork chops are available boneless or bone-in. Both cook quickly and yield moist, delicious results. When buying pork, look for meat that is firm, fresh smelling and light pink. Avoid pork that has yellow fat, a mushy or shiny appearance or liquid in the package.