🥩 Country Fried Pork Chops with Bacon Gravy
🛒 Ingredients:
For the Pork Chops:
- 4 bone-in pork chops (about ½ to ¾ inch thick)
- 1 cup buttermilk (or whole milk + 1 tsp vinegar as a sub)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch (extra crispiness!)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Vegetable oil, for frying
For the Bacon Gravy:
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 tbsp flour (from the seasoned dredge)
- 1½ cups milk (plus more if needed)
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
🔪 Instructions:
1. Prep the Pork Chops:
- Pat the pork chops dry and season with salt & pepper.
- Pour buttermilk over the chops and let them soak for at least 30 minutes (or overnight in the fridge).
2. Dredge:
- In a shallow bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
- Dredge each chop in the flour mixture, pressing to coat well. Shake off excess. Rest on a rack for 10 minutes.
3. Fry:
- Heat ½ inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Fry pork chops 3–4 minutes per side, until golden brown and internal temp hits 145°F (63°C).
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
4. Make the Bacon Gravy:
- In the same pan (remove excess oil but leave about 1 tbsp), cook chopped bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside.
- Sprinkle in 2 tbsp of the dredging flour into the bacon drippings. Whisk to make a roux and cook for 1–2 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in milk, stirring constantly until thickened (about 3–5 minutes). Add more milk for thinner gravy if needed.
- Season with salt & pepper and stir in the crispy bacon.
5. Serve:
- Pour the gravy over the pork chops and serve hot—great with mashed potatoes, green beans, or biscuits!