How Gordon Ramsay Gets Breading To Stick On Pork Chops (It's Not Egg Wash)

On an episode of "Next Level Kitchen," Gordon Ramsay was challenged to elevate the humble shake-and-bake pork chop recipe. Shake-and-bakes have been a quick-and-easy standby in household kitchens for decades — just toss your flour, breadcrumbs, and dry seasonings into a bag, then add the meat (or whatever you're making) and shake it all up to coat. "It's a great way of basically coating smartly without getting too messy," Ramsay explained in a clip shared on YouTube. But where these recipes often fall short is in ensuring the breading sticks to the food, be it meat, fish, or veggies. Ramsay offers a foolproof solution: mayonnaise.

Before we go any further, yes, mayo makes a creamy swap to egg washes for any dish requiring breading. It serves as a magic adhesive for flour and breading mixes thanks to its thicker makeup compared to a simple egg wash. Mayonnaise is just eggs, water, lemon juice (or vinegar), and oil, after all, so think of it as a tougher, thicker, stronger alternative to a thin egg wash. Eggs naturally contain the emulsifier lecithin, which allows fat to disperse evenly in water — giving both eggs and mayonnaise their texture. It's also key to the binding power of both eggs and mayo, so using real mayonnaise in breading is preferred over light mayo, since it can only be called "real" if it uses eggs as its emulsifier.

Want to try it for yourself? First, season the chop with a little salt and pepper. Then, brush on mayonnaise using the back of a spoon. "We don't need the flour, the egg wash, the breadcrumb," Ramsay instructed. "Just coat it nicely and leave it there." While your pork chops sit, the mayonnaise will marinate the meat and flavor the veggies, adding a subtle but notable tang to the flavor profile.

On "Next Level Kitchen," Ramsay assembles his pork chop shake-and-bake seasoning bag with breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika (regular or smoked), dried oregano, salt, pepper, and a little fresh thyme. After giving the pork chop a nice shake, Ramsay rests it against the table, still in the bag, to press the breading into the chop well on both sides. If you love thick breading, you can repeat the process, adding another coating of mayo followed by another shake in the seasonings.

But, true to fashion, Ramsay doesn't stop there in leveling up his pork chop. The celebrity chef adds a ton of flavor to pork by employing a classic steak technique — searing and basting pork chops on the stove to lock in moisture and flavor. Be sure the pan isn't too hot, so the breadcrumbs will sear without burning. Ramsey sears his pork chops in oil first, then adds butter to the pan, allowing it to froth before basting the meat with it to deepen the flavors.

Of course, there's one ride-or-die side that always belongs with pork: apples. One trick gives apples so much savory flavor that they might outshine your pork: after taking them off the heat to rest, add the apples straight to the same pan so they can soak up that frothy, buttery goodness. Season them with salt and pepper and add a little brown sugar before drizzling apple cider vinegar and apple cider to bring out the tartness and balance the apples' caramelized sweetness. Serve your pork and apples with potatoes, and you'll have a budget-friendly meal on the table in no time with minimal cleanup.