Slow Carb Walnut Crusted Pork Chops

This recipe was a favorite of mine long before the Slow Carb Diet.   I originally found it in my mom’s Cooking Light magazine.  It has been reposted here at myrecipes.com.

This is one of those  healthy recipes that you actually forget is healthy.  It’s always a crowd pleaser, and quite honestly, it’s so good that when I make it I forget I’m on a diet.

While nuts are considered an occasional treat on the Slow Carb Diet, you can still enjoy this meal guilt-free knowing walnuts are full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, lower cholesterol and tryglyceride levels, lower the risk of heart disease, combat depression and help with weight loss (plus some other benefits as well!)

I’m posting the recipe as is, but there are a few modifications I do that I’ll mention.  I chose to create a Worcestershire substitute because of the high amount of sugar in the sauce, and I am being quite diligent about those little cheats.  The devil is in the details, folks.

A few other notes: The bacon is nice, but totally unnecessary.   If you don’t have it or don’t like it, just add a bit of oil to the pan to keep the chops from sticking.  I often double the amount of walnuts and spices to make sure I have plenty of coating, but that’s just me.  It’s not really necessary either.  Regarding spices, sometimes I don’t even use sage as suggested.  After some experimentation, I’ve discovered I prefer a mixture of half rosemary and half thyme instead of the sage.

( 4 servings)

Ingredients

• Pork:  4  (8-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops, trimmed
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  Worcestershire sauce (*very high in sugar – try this replacement!)
• 3/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  dried sage
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3  cup  walnuts, finely ground
• 1  bacon slice
• 1/4  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Preparation

1. To prepare pork, place chops in a shallow dish; drizzle evenly with Worcestershire. Combine salt, sage, and black pepper in a small bowl. Reserve 3/4 teaspoon salt mixture. Add walnuts to remaining salt mixture; toss well. Press walnut mixture onto both sides of pork chops. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

2. Cook bacon slice in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add pork chops to drippings in pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 6 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Remove pork from pan.