Crispy Breaded Pork Chops with Chow Chow and Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

Brine for pork

• 0.5 cups black peppercorns
• 0.5 cup salt
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 1.5 cups of ice
• 4 natural pork cutlets on the bone, pounded to a thickness of 0.5 cm.
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp olive oil + add more as needed

Sweet potato

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5cm pieces
• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 1 tbsp dark brown sugar

Chow Chow

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cups diced white cabbage
• 2 cups diced green tomatoes
• 0.5 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 dried bay leaf

Preparation:

1. Brine:
   
   In a saucepan, combine peppercorns, salt, bay leaf, chili flakes, and 1.5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove the brine from the heat and add ice to cool.
2. Place the pork chops in a baking dish and pour the cooled brine over them. Refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the dish.
3. Sweet potato:
   
   Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and toss with butter, brown sugar, a little salt, and black pepper. Bake until tender, 30-40 minutes.

4. Cabbage relish "Chow-chow"

   
   In a large saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Stir in the mustard seeds, turmeric, and crushed red pepper flakes. Add the cabbage, tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the relish thickens into a sauce, 15-20 minutes.
5. Pork chops:
   
   Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt. Place the egg and breadcrumbs in separate shallow bowls. Dip the pork chops one at a time in the egg, then in breadcrumbs, evenly covering both sides.
6. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the pork chops a few at a time, adding more oil as needed, until crispy and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.
7. Serve pork chops with chow mein and baked sweet potatoes.