Baked Pork Chops in Tomato Sauce

Mother in law was away on a day trip today, so it was up to us to fend for ourselves. I therefore took the opportunity to make a nice meal for the remainder of the family. It was hard to juggle everything though, and I found myself in the kitchen every time I found a free moment to marinade and prep in any way possible to make the process easier before dinnertime.

I have always loved baked pork chop on rice when I go out to eat at Hong Kong style cafes. Unfortunately, I did not have any leftover rice available so I could not include the rice today's version. Fried rice is just not right when it is made with fresh rice. Generally, I would make this dish with fried rice (fried with egg, peas, diced carrots, corn and diced mushrooms) and bake everything all together.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. Pork Chops (approximately 8 slices, bone out)
2 Eggs (beaten)
Mozzarella Cheese (or Parmesan, Cheddar), to taste
1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

Marinade:

2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 tsp. Sugar
2 tsp. Corn Starch
2 tsp. Shaoxing Wine
2 tsp. Ginger (minced)
1 tbsp. Sesame Oil
2 tsp. Black Pepper

Sauce:

1 Onion (roughly chopped)
2 Tomatoes (cut into small chunks)
2 cloves Garlic (minced)
1 can Tomato Paste
2 tbsp. Ketchup
2 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp. Black Pepper
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 tbsp. Sugar
1 tbsp. Brown Sugar
2 tbsp. Milk

DIRECTIONS:

Beat the pork chops with a mallet to tenderize the meat.

Marinade the pork chops with all of the marinade ingredients and set aside for at least half an hour.


Dredge the pork chops, one at a time, in the beaten eggs and then in the Panko bread crumbs.

Heat up oil in a wok for deep frying. Once the oil is hot, lower the heat to medium. Deep fry the pork chops until golden brown on both sides and then set aside in a oven proof dish that will be large enough to hold both the pork chops and the sauce.

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a saucepan or pot, saute the garlic and onions in oil until slightly browned. Add the chopped tomatoes. When the tomatoes begin to soften, add the tomato paste, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, soy sauce, sugar and brown sugar. Add a little water if the sauce is too thick. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Pour the sauce evenly over the pork chops. Sprinkle a layer of cheese over the top.

Bake in the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until the cheese is slightly browned on top.