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Smothered Pork Chops

Source of Recipe

From "The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen" by Matt Lee and Ted Lee


Recipe Introduction

"This recipe is an easy weeknight dish we enjoy serving our families. It's also our own tribute to the excellent smothered pork chops we eat at Bertha's Kitchen, a restaurant on the northern tip of the Charleston peninsula, where sisters Sharon Coakley, Julia Grant, and Linda Pinckney carry on the legacy of their mother, Albertha Grant. Mrs. Grant opened the restaurant in 1979, serving made-from-scratch Southern comfort food, like green beans, lima beans, collards, fried chicken, fried fish, and smothered pork chops—which we devour so cleanly you'd think the bones had been bleached. The lines that stretch from the steam-table out the door most days at lunchtime are testament to the sisters' fidelity to their mother's recipes, and also to the fact that most Charlestonians don't mind waiting when we know the food's delicious!"

List of Ingredients

Pork chops:
â—¦ ½ cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ ¼ cup coarse, medium, or fine stone-ground cornmeal
â—¦ 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
â—¦ 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
â—¦ ½ cup whole milk
â—¦ 1 large egg yolk
â—¦ 1 ½ cups peanut or canola oil, or lard
â—¦ 4 bone-in center-cut pork loin chops (about 2 ¼ pounds)

Gravy:
â—¦ 1 ½ cups diced yellow onion (about 1 large)
â—¦ 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
â—¦ 1 â…“ cups chicken broth
â—¦ â…” cup whole milk or half-and-half


Recipe

Cook the pork chops:
Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, and black pepper in a broad, shallow bowl until thoroughly combined. Transfer to a large plate, spreading the mixture in a flat, even layer. Wipe the bowl clean with a paper towel, and pour the milk into it. Add the egg yolk and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Preheat the oven to 250° F, and place a heatproof platter lined with a double thickness of paper towels inside.

Pour the oil into a 10-inch skillet to a depth of about ½ inch, and put over high heat. When the oil reaches 375° F on a frying thermometer, turn the heat down to medium high. Submerge two of the pork chops in the bowl of egg wash until they're completely coated, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Press each chop firmly into the flour mixture on the plate, then flip it to coat the other side. Roll each chop around in the dredge so that the sides get an even coating of flour, too, then slide it gently into the hot oil. When both chops of the batch are in the oil, cover the pan, and fry until the bottom side of the chops is alluringly browned, about 2 minutes. Then flip and continue to cook for about 2 minutes, uncovered, until the second side is browned. Using sturdy tongs, carefully transfer the chops to the plate in the oven. Repeat with the remaining two chops.

Make the gravy:
Once all the chops are in the oven, pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the oil, and add the onion to the pan. Cook, stirring, until fragrant and translucent, but not browned, about 4 minutes. Scatter the flour in the pan and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes, until the flour is distributed evenly throughout the and the onion is toasty. Add the broth and milk, and whisk until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the gravy is thickened, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Remove the chops from the oven and arrange them on a long platter. Smother them with the gravy and bring to the table.

Serves 4