hi Sarah,

I wonder if the chops still had a fair bit of water in them, being just defrosted and still cold?

To tell you the truth, I've never tried baking pork chops with the crumb coating in the oven ... I usually pan-fry in a small amount of fat. But chicken (with or without the skin) comes out nice and crunchy ... I find "dipping" in mayo is too messy, so I just use a knife to spread a thin layer on, then press on the seasoned crumbs with my fingers. I don't turn them, so they just get the crumbs on the top side. Like you, I find the crumb layer that sits on the bottom gets soggy, even if you turn them over during baking. But pan-frying in a little oil or bacon fat makes both sides nice and crispy.

My 2¢ ... hopefully somebody else will come along with some tips to make the baked chops crispy on both sides ... I'd like to know too!

Doreen