AirFryday: Panko-crumbed pork loin chops in the air fryer

Panko crumbs have become far more readily available than they were five years ago. In the cities they’ve been around for much longer but to find them in a small town was impossible until recently.

These Japanese breadcrumbs have no flavour of their own and were designed for deep-frying food. However, they work a dream in an air fryer and have become used in a wide variety of dishes all over the world.

You can even make your own, though because they are often sold in sizable bags and last for a very long time in a store cupboard, I don’t see the point of that. The 1kg bag I bought several months ago is still a quarter full.

It isn’t even necessary to coat an item in flour and egg first, although you can do that, of course. Panko crumbs will stick to meat, fowl or fish of their own accord.

For this recipe, I mixed panko breadcrumbs with finely grated parmesan, dried Italian herbs, a hint of paprika and salt and black pepper, and just dipped the pork loin chops in that on all sides.

I didn’t even think a sauce was needed for them. In fact, it would seem to defeat the object of the crumbs giving the chops a wonderfully crunchy finish while sealing in moisture. The result: succulent chops with a crunchy crust. Perfect.

Tony’s panko-crumbed pork loin chops in the air fryer

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

2-4 pork loin chops, bone-in or boneless

½ cup panko crumbs (more if needed)

3 Tbsp grated Grana Padano cheese, or a similar parmesan-style cheese

1 Tbsp dried Italian herbs

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

Cooking oil spray

Method

Spoon the panko crumbs into a plastic tub or bowl. Add grated parmesan, herbs, paprika, salt and black pepper and stir.

Preheat an air fryer to 200°C.

Spray the basket of the air fryer with cooking oil spray.

Rinse the chops and pat them dry thoroughly. Dip them in the crumbs (add more crumbs if needed) and ensure they are thoroughly coated. I dipped them on all sides twice.

Spray them on both sides with cooking oil spray.

Air fry at 200°C for 8 to 9 minutes per side, a total of 16 to 18 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chops. They should be golden and crunchy to the touch when done.

Allow them to rest for 5 minutes.

When serving, grate Grana Padano over the chops and garnish with picked oregano leaves and oregano sprigs. DM

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.

This dish is photographed on a plate by Mervyn Gers Ceramics.