Recipe courtesy of Bruce Aidells

Kirsten's Fried Pork Chops with Country Gravy

Getting reviews...
Kirsten Goldberg was one of the pantry cooks at Boulevard. One night when I was eating at the counter opposite her station, I asked her if she had a favorite pork recipe to contribute to my book. She didn't hesitate a second and replied, "The pork chops with country gravy my mom served for breakfast." null Most times when I've had fried chops, I've been disappointed because the meat is always ends up dry from overcooking. The solution is to give the chops a quick soaking in a simple flavor brine of salt, sugar and water. If you're serving them for breakfast, brine them the night before for 2 to 4 hours. Remove the chops from the brine and keep them, wrapped, in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook them. Otherwise make breakfast a little later ? 2 hours in the brine should be enough to make them succulent. null Serve these chops in true Midwestern style with warm biscuits ? some folks spoon the gravy over the biscuits as well as the chops ? and fried or poached eggs. If you're really feeling like going "whole hog", serve up a mess of grits, too.
  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 4 hr 35 min
  • Prep: 15 min
  • Inactive: 4 hr
  • Cook: 20 min
  • Yield: 4 servings
Share This Recipe

Ingredients

Basic Brine:

Country Gravy:

Directions

  1. To make the brine: Put the water in a large bowl and stir in the salt and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Add the ice cubes and cool the mixture to at least 45 degrees F. Submerge the pork chops in the brine. Refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 4. Remove the pork chops from the brine, pat dry, and wrap in plastic wrap. Store in refrigerator until ready to cook.
  2. To make the gravy: In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat, breaking it up with a spatula or fork. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat and discard. Reserve the fat in a cup for cooking chops.
  3. Sprinkle the flour over the cooked sausage in the skillet; stir to coat. Gradually stir in the half-and-half, nutmeg and Worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add more half-and-half if the sauce becomes too thick. Season, to taste, with salt, pepper and hot sauce. Cover the skillet and set aside while you cook the chops.
  4. Sprinkle the chops generously with pepper. Dredge then in the flour, shaking off excess. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the reserved fat plus additional oil to a depth of 1/8-inch over medium-high heat. Put the chops in the pan, as many as will fit without crowding, and fry until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. If you're cooking more than one batch of chops, keep the fried chops warm in a preheated 250 degrees F oven.
  5. To serve, put 1 chop on each diner's plate (you will have 2 remaining for second helpings) and spoon the gravy over them. Serve extra gravy on the side to pour biscuits or grits.

Fudge Factor

Sifted: Plan-Ahead Valentine's Day Desserts Feb 6, 2013

By: Lauren Miyashiro

Get our take on the best in food news, recipes and more from around the web, including the best Valentine's Day recipes.

Over-the-Top-Delicious Treats to Satisfy Your Food Obsession

Are you infatuated with ice cream? Do you lust over lobster? Swoon at the sight of chocolate? Here's the best recipe for each food …

Train Frontman Pat Monahan's Dark Chocolate Obsession Feb 11, 2013

By: Cameron Curtis

Train frontman Pat Monahan, an avid chocolate lover, shared with us his top five reasons for eating dark chocolate.

The Craziest Chocolate Creations for American Chocolate Week Mar 17, 2013

It’s officially American Chocolate Week. Check out photos of mind-blowing chocolate creations.

Review: Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert's Chocolate Bar Nov 16, 2012

Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert have teamed up with master chocolatier Christopher Curtin to create the "Good & Evil" chocolate b …

Chocolate Desserts

Indulge in our decadent chocolate desserts, from cookies and cakes to puddings, souffles and truffles.

How to Chop and Melt Chocolate

Lots of recipes call for melted chocolate. Follow these step-by-step instructions to do it properly.

Essentials: Chocolate Basics Sep 1, 2016

Satisfy that chocolate craving in your very own kitchen. All you need is baking chocolate and a little know-how. It also helps to …