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Pan Fried Pork Chops with White Milk Gravy!



To be honest I normally cook my pork chops in the oven or grill them, but every once in a while I do indulge in a good old pan fried pork chop with some white gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits.  There just isn't a meal much more southern than that...except maybe fried chicken, white gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits.   Of course there is chicken fried steak, white gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits...see the pattern here...lol.  We southerners do love our gravy and biscuits.



First, we need to fry our pork chops.  I actually prefer the bone in chops for this because they just have more flavor, but I had boneless so that is what we are using and they work fine.  After rinsing the chops off, place them in a bowl with enough buttermilk to cover them all.  Place back in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour.


If you can get this House Autry pork breader where you live, I highly suggest trying it.  It is seasoned just perfectly and it puts a great coating on your chops that stays on them and crisps up really nice.  If you can't find it in your area, you might email the company and let them know. I couldn't find it here for some odd reason for a while and I emailed the company and within 1 month Walmart was carrying it. If you don't have access to it, you can mix about 2 cups of flour with 1/2 cup of cornmeal seasoned with 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, and 1/2 tsp. garlic powder.   I do add about a 1/2 tsp of black pepper to the House Autry seasoning also, but it has enough salt and garlic seasoning.  Dredge your pork chops in which ever seasoning you are using and shake off the excess.  I fried about 7 boneless pork loin chops with a box of House Autry pork breader.  For pan fried chops I wouldn't recommend them to be over a 1/2 inch thick, less than that is better.  They will be too hard to get done if too thick.


Heat oil in a skillet just to cover the bottom on medium.  The pork chops should sizzle when you put them in.  Place them in the skillet leaving plenty of room.  Don't over crowd your pan.  Cook about 8 -9 minutes on each side.  Some recipes will tell you to cook them less time and I know they say pork can be eaten still 'pink' now days, but I like my pork done. 



Once you flip them, they should be nice and brown on one side.  Don't flip them more than twice, it makes your breading fall off.  If you are frying very many, you will probably have to do more than one pan full.  Remove the first batch and place on a paper towel lined platter. You might need to add a little oil to your pan after the first batch.  Be sure it's hot before adding the next  chops. 
Now, to make the white gravy, see those browned bits in the pan?  Leave them right there, they will make your gravy taste wonderful.  You probably won't have a lot of grease left in the skillet after frying the chops, if you have only been add just enough to cover the bottom of the skillet.  Add to whats left, 2 Tbs. bacon drippings. If you don't have bacon drippings, you can just add a little more oil, but  bacon drippings are what make the gravy so delicious.  If you don't understand where we get the bacon drippings when we haven't cooked any bacon in this entire recipe thus far, you are probably not from the south and don't know that most southern cooks collect and keep their bacon drippings for seasoning.  I know this is disturbing to some so I won't go further into the collection of bacon grease, but there is nothing you can buy on the shelf that seasons better than a spoonful of bacon grease. I don't recommend cooking with it daily or in huge quantities, but small amounts are a must in some things. 

Add 1/4 cup flour to the pan and whisk into the grease, cook for about a couple of minutes.  Slowly add 2 cups milk, continuing to whisk.  Add 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper.
Bring this up to a boil continuing to whisk.  This will scorch if you don't move it around continuously.  Boil for about a minute just until it starts to thicken. Turn your heat to low and just let it simmer for a few minutes as it will continue to thicken even after it has been turned down.  Taste for seasoning, it might need a dash more salt and pepper.  There is nothing worse than white gravy not seasoned well enough. 



Whisk one last time and pour it up in a bowl. This is called sawmill gravy by some folks and it's the gravy we serve for breakfast with biscuits also, unless we make red eye gravy with country ham...that's a post for another day though.

Pan fried pork chops served with mashed potatoes, white milk gravy and biscuits...comfort food at it's best!










24 comments:

  1. Mmmmm! I wish I had some of that right now!
    And you are so right about nothing worse than under-seasoned white gravy!

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    1. I missed this comment some way. I hate gravy without enough seasoning...so blah. :) Good to see you!

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  2. Love this recipe tooo~ ya all cook just like me <3

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    1. I think southerners cook some things very similar. I sometimes think about how many generations have been cooking it the same and passing it down. My fear is that it's not getting passed down now though and will be lost. Thank you for taking time to comment. :)

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  3. Love milk gravy. I really need to make some biscuits and suasage gravy for breakfast tomorrow. I'm like you though, I don't fry a lot of foods anymore, but every once in a while a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. Thank you for sharing.

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  4. After browning the flour in the drippings, I add enough water to the flour, stirring it until pasty and then add the milk. I find this gets rids of any lumps caused by adding the cold milk to the flour.

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  5. Found your blog today, but I can't figure out how to subscribe to it. Could you let me know? I am very new to blogging and the WORLD of blogging! Thanks!

    Cookie :)

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    1. Only thing to make this better would be a big fat Jersey mater popped right up on top with a side of greens. Nice job!

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  6. I have found that using canned cream, diluted with water, makes better gravey! This looks great!

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    1. I definitely agree with this comment...Pet Milk or Carnation...and I use this in my mashed (creamed) potatoes. Nothing better!!

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    2. I sometimes use the evaporated milk for white gravy also. My mother uses it a lot. Whichever I have on hand.

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  7. This is fabulous! And I actually did LOL at the bacon drippings comment, and not being from the south if you don't understand where they come from for this recipe! It immediately brought to mind the "Drippings Can" that I always saw sitting on the top of every good cook's stovetop! It was metal, with a semi-tight fitting lid and a strainer mechanism inside that closely resembled an old fashioned percolator, and every time bacon got fried up for breakfast, the skillet was poured right into the can. It even had a spout and handle like the percolator did to pour the strained bacon drippings right into whatever pan needed it next. Keeping it warm by keeping it on the back of the stovetop (especially gas ranges) kept the drippings in pouring consistency.
    Can't find them nowdays though. Guess the health information about the hazzards of such practices caused enough of a drop in demand they aren't made anymore. So, I just keep mine in a glass jar (thick jar so less likely to crack) in the fridge, and dip out what I need with a fork or spoon. We don't eat much bacon these days, which makes the drippings harder to accumulate, and requires longer termed storage, but being the Southern-raised cook I am, I still use a bit to season my green beans, fried potatoes and onions and so forth.
    Oddly enough, many years back, a very health-conscious co-worker came to work one morning wanting to know if anyone had stored bacon drippings they could spare. Seems the vet had prescribed some kind of meds for the family dog apparently which would go down easier if slathered in bacon drippings. I was the only person in the whole department with enough to spare, and I brought her a jar full the next day. Guess being in the North made that a foreign concept to all the Northern bred cooks I worked with!
    Love your column ~ every issue is like a taste of home again!

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    1. You can find these on Amazon . I bought one . My momma had one and it got lost in the shuffle of many moves . And they are reasonably priced .

      Oil Strainer Dispenser 1 QT Aluminum
      by Benecasa
      $5.99
      And it looks like the lil perculator :-)

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  8. I found that adding hot milk, instead of cold right from the fridge, seems to make smoother gravy with very little chance for lumps and a better flavor and texture. I estimate about how much I will need, pour it in a large glass measuring cup and use the "Beverage" key on the microwave to heat the milk without boiling it. If that is not enough, then hot water in small quantities is usually enough to make up the difference without affecting the results.

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  9. Love your blog! And I cook just like you & have for years... yep, I'm old :) I always soak any meats, poultry & catfish in buttermilk that are going to be breaded. I save bacon grease in a small bowl in the fridge... I can't imagine fixin' greens, cabbage or fried taters without a little bit of it!! ~ozarkgranny

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  10. I always add a can of cream of mushroom soup to my white gravy.

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  11. Imma' Country girl from the Carolina's and I've been cooking this way since I was 5 years old !!!!
    ;-) ;-)
    Good Ol' Southern Cooking......Gotta Love it !!! ♥♡♥

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  12. I'm like Shari. My mom had a drippings can on the stove, just like the one she described. I wish I could find one. They used to come in a set with metal Salt and pepper shakers. Ilove milk gravy and you are right, it just tastes better with a dab of bacon grease. Love your column. I follow you on Facebook. Thank you so much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You can find one on Amazon.....

      Oil Strainer Dispenser 1 QT Aluminum
      by Benecasa
      $5.99
      And it looks like the lil perculator :-)

      Delete
  13. PLEASE....I BEG OF YOU, NEVER EVER, EVER STOP BLOGGING! lol THIS BLOG/FACEBOOK PAGE IS A BLESSING! AND I PRAY THAT YOU WILL BE CONTINUALLY BLESSED :-)

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  14. I just had to laugh at the bacon drippings comment. My mother had the little metal can with the strainer also. Wish I knew what happened to it. I would save my bacon grease in it!

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    1. A coffee cup works just fine, my daughter's in their 20s do it too... thankful things still get passed down!

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  15. For Shari D. and others: I grew up in Illinois and remember the bacon grease can with strainer and lid on the gas stovetop to keep it liquid and then in the refrigerator. My mother was born and raised in Missouri. She was not a great cook, did not use either onion or garlic but did make some things well and did use her bacon grease. I do not think it is just a Southern thing. I have lived in Florida the majority of my life and do use onion & garlic, cannot imagine cooking without them. I do not use the bacon grease very often since we use the Turkey Bacon. Wish I had kept my Mama's bacon grease tin.I remember it well. I love this blog and read it daily and have tried some of the recipes. They do remind me of growing up and my mother's cooking and my Dad's mother's cooking. Now SHE was a great mid-western cook with bacon grease, onion and you name it. She could put a meal on the table for 16 unexpected Sunday dinner guests who would just show up unannounced. Great memories......

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