Gordon Ramsay's Pork Coating Method Is All In The 'Shake'

More than his strict personality and razor-sharp remarks in the kitchen, Gordon Ramsay is known for his impeccable skill in food preparation. The man knows how to make perfect scrambled eggs every time, and he has developed a foolproof technique for making the most flavorful fish and chips. So, when it comes to making the perfect pork chops, it doesn't come as a surprise that Ramsay has a genius method for achieving what can be a big challenge for many home cooks. In a video clip he shared on Instagram from his "Next Level Chef" series, the renowned celebrity demonstrates his infallible technique to perfectly season and bread pork chops with just a shake. 

As seen in the video, Ramsay vigorously shakes a plastic bag with the pork chop, seasonings, spices, and panko inside. "Hold nice and tight, and then literally, give that a good shake," he says at the start of the clip while shaking the bag. "Now, shake and bake, it's a great way of basically coating something without getting too messy," he adds. Ramsay then says that to ensure the pork chop gets enough flavor and coating, he places the plastic bag on a flat surface after shaking and presses the seasonings and bread crumbs into the meat.

The more common way of preparing pork chops involves dredging the meat in flour before dipping it into an egg wash and coating it with breading. While this is already as simple as it gets, it doesn't ensure an even coating. Gordon Ramsay's hack is more effective at ensuring a uniform coat of seasonings and panko since the shaking motion allows the coating mixture to reach all the nooks and crannies of the meat. The butcher's method for making crispy Shake 'n Bake pork chops follows the same principle. The only difference is that the butcher's method uses beaten egg, beer, and mustard to moisten the meat before coating it with the dry mixture. Ramsay's technique, on the other hand, uses mayonnaise as the adhesive for the breading.

In his tutorial on how to make delicious pork chops, Ramsay uses a spoon to dab mayo on the pork chop after seasoning with salt and pepper. He recommends applying a generous amount of mayo to cover the entire cut, save for the protruding bone. Once done, set it aside while preparing the coating mixture in the plastic bag. Once that's ready, place the pork chop in the bag and close the top of the plastic around the bone before shaking vigorously. Ramsay quips that this method also works for breaded chicken wings, thighs, and breasts. He also says repeating the steps may be necessary at times to guarantee an even coating.