With a nutty, flavor-packed crust, this Dukkah Crusted Pork with Balsamic Drizzle is a star all on its own. But once paired alongside this lemony, Roasted Apple & Arugula salad (studded with blue cheese & walnuts), watch out! Sharing center stage together, the dynamic duo headlines as the very picture of clean-eating; their lively flavors putting on quite a show for all. It is a partnership (& recipe) that is most worthy of an encore!
Dukkah Crusted Pork with Roasted Apple and Arugula Salad
Dukkah Crusted Pork with Roasted Apple & Arugula Salad
Even though “Dukkah” sounds a bit like “Dookie”, this Dukkah Crusted Pork is anything but(t)! HAHA IM SO FUNNY IN SO MANY WAYS RIGHT? Anyway, since ‘dukkah’ is not exactly an everyday cooking staple, you may have questions. Let’s take some questions and comments from our readers (…errr, me pretending to have readers by asking myself reader questions that I wrote myself):
“Please WifeyChef, stop making jokes. I’m here for the recipe, and side note you’re not funny. Before I try this recipe, can you please first explain: WHAT EXACTLY IS DUKKAH? AND WHAT DOES DUKKAH TASTE LIKE?” Rude, but ok. Dukkah is a delicious nut/seed/spice/herb blend of Middle-Eastern origin. It is usually comprised of an assortment of nuts & seeds (anything from sesame seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds; to hazelnuts, pistachios, and beyond), PLUS a mixture of flavorful herbs & spices (such as thyme, mint, rosemary, cumin, etc- but anything goes really), all infused together to form the unique spice blend known as “Dukkah.” Since the nut/herb combinations are endless, Dukkah recipes vary greatly all across the board, In general, most dukkah blends have but one thing in common: they all infuse a good, nutty bit of crunch into whichever dish they may appear in. As a result, Dukkah also makes a fantastic rub or crust (hence the creation of this very recipe, featuring dukkah-crusted pork)!
“HOW DO I MAKE DUKKAH?” Glad you asked, my friend! Since I am SUCH an expert on basically everything pretty much; with good ol’ “dukkah-making” being no exception, here we go. I want to assure you that you have come to the right place with your questions, and also to again clarify how smart I am. And now young grasshopper, I shall bequeath my dukkah-making knowledge unto you:
- You can buy it from Trader Joe’s. In a jar. For $3. Oh, you said make it. Well, answer #1 still stands because you are making the dukkah get into your shopping cart. But since some people are SOOO literal and prob want to know how to like “MAKE it” make it,
- You can make dukkah by hand using a mortar and pestle (gives you max control), in a food processor, in the blender, or in the Trader Joe’s aisle (please refer to answer #1 conveniently listed above in bold letters, should you have further questions regarding this method)
“THX FOR NOTHING WIFEYCHEF, ANY OTHER ADVICE FOR MAKING YOUR DELICIOUS-LOOKING, DUKKAH CRUSTED PORK/ROASTED APPLE SALAD RECIPE, AS SHOWN HERE?” Yes, indeed I do have a tidbit of advice or two. Please don’t skip the roasted apple salad (unless you don’t like yummy, healthy things that blend perfectly together). The marriage of roasted apples, arugula, walnuts, lemon, and blue cheese truly compliments the dukkah crusted pork chops. Oh, and before plating the dukkah pork chops, make a quick bed of balsamic vinegar drizzle to rest pork chops on… but only if you REAAAAALLY love yummy things, of course. So much YES, with just that simple step alone!
Happily, this recipe comes together in a snap, and the majority is hands-off (minus dunking your pork chops in the dukkah mixture), although that is the fun part! Reminds me of those Kraft Shake-N-Bake dinners from childhood. Anyone remember those?!
I truly hope you enjoy this healthy, clean, and delicious dukkah-crusted pork chop/roasted apple & arugula recipe. Please let me know your thoughts and/or any feedback you have for me! I am all ears! 🙂
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Dukkah Crusted Pork with Roasted Apples and Arugula
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes (up to 35 minutes)
- Total Time: 45 minutes (up to 50 minutes)
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
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With a nutty, flavor-packed crust, this Dukkah Crusted Pork with Balsamic Drizzle is a star all on its own. But once paired alongside this lemony, Roasted Apple & Arugula salad (studded with blue cheese & walnuts), watch out! This meal is clean-eating meets lively-flavor at its very finest!
Ingredients
for the dukkah-crusted pork:
- (4) thick boneless, center-cut pork chops
- 3/4 cup Dukkah, + 6 cloves garlic (minced), + 2 small lemons, (zested), combined into a shallow bowl and mixed well. NOTE: Use/combine the lemon zest ONLY here, not the actual lemon itself. Tip: Set both of the remaining (whole/zested) lemons aside for later use.
- 1/3 cup Unbleached, All-Purpose Flour (i.e. Bob’s Red Mill)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Salt & Pepper
- Balsamic Glaze/Drizzle for serving
for the roasted apple and arugula salad:
- 3 medium gala apples, cored and sliced into wedges
- 5 oz arugula
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for serving
- Chopped walnuts, to taste
- Blue cheese, to taste
- (2) whole, zested lemons (leftover and set aside from earlier), for serving. Cut into wedges before serving.
- Salt & Pepper, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- On a baking sheet lined with foil, toss sliced gala apples with honey, 1 tbsp olive oil, & salt/pepper to taste.
- Lightly spray another baking sheet (lined with foil) for the pork chops.
- Divide the flour, eggs, and dukkah mixture into 3 separate bowls (1 bowl for each ingredient)
- Dip each pork chop into the flour mixture, evenly coating both sides. Next, repeat process into the egg mixture. Lastly, repeat process into the dukkah mixture. Once dipped 3 ways, place each pork chop onto baking sheet.
- Place apples into oven (on their own oven rack). Set timer for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice throughout.
- Place pork in oven (on an oven rack separate from the apples). Set timer for 20-30 minutes, depending on thickness of pork chops. Ensure that pork comes to an internal temperature of 140-145 degrees. Remove from oven once desired temp is achieved (or almost). Let pork chops sit 5-7 minutes before serving (they will continue to raise a few degrees internally).
- While dukkah pork chops rest, combine arugula in large bowl with a healthy drizzle of olive oil, a good hearty squeeze of lemon juice, a handful of chopped walnuts, a sprinkle of blue cheese, and sea salt/fresh-cracked pepper to taste. Top salad with roasted apples.
- Drizzle a small, pretty bed of balsamic glaze onto a clean plate, and then place dukkah crusted pork on top. Serve with the roasted apple and arugula salad on the side. ENJOY!!!
- Method: Oven
Absolutely amazing!! Loved the flavors and how the meal didn’t feel heavy. Yum, thank you!
★★★★★