Country Fried Pork Chops & Gravy

It’s always nice to change up recipes a little bit.  I’ve made country fried steaks and chicken many times but I was faced with the dilemma of what to do with pork chops so I decided to try it.  Wonderful results.   Moist pork chops, crispy coating and a delicious gravy.  I had 2 butterflied pork chops so I cut those in half and pounded them thin.

 

 

Country Fried Pork Chops & Gravy

 

4 thin cut pork chops

½ cup flour

1 large egg

½ cup milk

1 tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Season the pork chops on both sides.  Whisk together egg and milk in a bowl.  In a second bowl, whisk together  flour and seasonings.   Dip each pork chop in the milk, then the flour coating both sides and then repeat the milk bath and flour coatings a second time.  Place into a heated frying pan with the olive oil.  Fry until crispy on both sides, remove and let sit while you make your gravy using the drippings.

 

White gravy

Pork chop drippings

An additional 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp flour

1 cup milk

Whisk flour into drippings and olive oil.  Let cook for a minute.  Whisk milk into and keep whisking until it thickens.  Season per taste.

Crock Pot Beef Tips & Gravy

It's cold.  Darn cold.  The high today is -7.  It wouldn't be bad if that was Celsius but unfortunately it's Fahrenheit.  For me, it meant putting in some kitchen and crafting time since it's too cold to venture out.  That's not all bad either.  One of the first things I made was cookies (recipe coming later this week) and then I put these beef tips in the crock pot to slowly tenderize and cook all day.  Great for serving over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Crock Pot Beef Tips & Gravy

1# sirloin steak (mine was 1.3#)
extra virgin olive oil

Dredge ~
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a pan.  Cube the steak while you are waiting for the oil and pan to heat.  Combine all the ingredients and roll the steak cubes in the mixture before placing into the hot pan.  Lightly brown on all sides before placing in the crock pot.  Add more olive oil as needed.  In the last batch, add in 1 small onion that is minced.  Place the remaining beef and onions in the crock pot and deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup burgundy.  Add in 2 1/2 cups beef broth and place the crock pot on medium heat.  Cook for at least 4 hours.  A half hour before serving, mix together 2 tbsp. corn starch and 1/4 cup cold water and stir into the crock pot gravy to thicken.  Turn up the heat a notch and allow it to thicken.

Crock Pot Sour Cream Pork Chops & Gravy

If you like pork chops so tender that you do not need a knife...this is the recipe for you.  Lots of flavor and oh, so tender.  I found a sale on sirloin pork chops but any kind will do.  The gravy is just as good as the pork chops. 

Crock Pot Sour Cream Pork Chops & Gravy

4 sirloin cut pork chops

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Vegeta (if you have, if not a pinch of garlic powder)

Heat up a frying pan to brown the pork chops with olive oil.  Season the pork chops on both sides and place in the hot pan.  Brown on both sides before placing in the crock pot with 2 cups of chicken stock.  Allow to cook over medium heat for 4 hours.  Remove the pork chops and strain the drippings into a medium saucepan.  

Mix together -

2 tbsp flour

1 cup sour cream

Gradually stir the sour cream mixture into the chicken/pork stock over medium heat.  Heat until thickened, stirring frequently.

Chicken Poutine

It's the opening weekend of the NFL and a co-worker suggested that it would be a good time for poutine.  So here is the chicken poutine that I made for the Sunday games ~

Chicken Poutine

Fries ~

2 large russet potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp extra light virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a small bowl.  Mix spices in a separate small bowl.  Drizzle olive oil over potatoes.  Toss in spices and make sure the fries are evenly coated.  Bake for 45 minutes at 350°.

Gravy ~

2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp flour
2 dashes hot sauce

Whisk together chicken stock and flour.  Add in the hot sauce and heat until it thickens.

1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (approximately 1 cup)
6 oz mixed cheddar cheese curds

Place baked french fries at the bottom of an oven ready pan.  I used a pie pan and it worked great.  Top with shredded chicken and cheese curds.  Return to oven for 5 minutes to a raised temperature of 400°.  Remove from oven and top with 1/4 cup chicken gravy.  Serve immediately.

Beef & Brie Poutine

Poutine is a great blend of cheese and potatoes with a delicious gravy topping it.  Decadent...yes.  Not something you want to eat every day but as an occasional treat it is well appreciated by all.  I decided to bake the fries as a healthier alternative and top it with two of my favorites ~ a medium rare filet mignon and brie.

Beef & Brie Poutine

Fries ~

2 large russet potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp extra light virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a small bowl.  Mix spices in a separate small bowl.  Drizzle olive oil over potatoes.  Toss in spices and make sure the fries are evenly coated.  Bake for 45 minutes at 350°.

Gravy ~

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 cups beef stock
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp ketchup
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan.  Stir in flour and let cook for a minute.  Gradually stir in the beef stock.  Add in the remaining ingredients and cook until it thickens.

3 oz filet mignon, cooked to medium rare and allowed to rest

3 oz brie

Assemble as follows ~

French fries on the bottom
Top with thin slices of filet mignon
Brie dotted on top of the fries and beef

Bake until the brie melts.  Spoon over some of the gravy and serve immediately.

Sausage & Corn Gravy With Buttermilk Biscuits

My freezer contains a lot of frozen corn that I needed to use up so I came up with a brunch recipe.  Since I was making biscuits plus the gravy, I did use a pre-made turkey breakfast sausage although you could easily make that too.

Sausage & Corn Gravy 

2 cups corn (either fresh cut off the cob or frozen)
2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk (I used 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup cream to use up some cream on hand)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 # turkey breakfast sausage, cooked and drained

Head corn in a large saucepan.  In a covered container with a good seal, shake together flour and milk.  Add into the corn.  When it thickens, add in the breakfast sausage.  Serve over warm biscuits.



Buttermilk Biscuits

Using a food processor, add in ~

2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into slices

Pulse in the food processor until butter is incorporated.  

Pour in ~

1 cup buttermilk.  Pulse just until the dough comes together.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  Pat out dough until it's 1" thick and cut into rounds.  Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes at 450°.

Makes 12 biscuits.

Chicken & Waffles

And gravy, naturally.  This is an ideal brunch recipe since the chicken should marinate overnight in a bath of buttermilk and hot sauce.  Carrying on the flavor, I used buttermilk in the waffles and gravy.

Chicken & Waffles & Gravy

Chicken ~

3 chicken breasts
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp hot sauce

Place in a plastic bag that seals and allow to marinade overnight in the refrigerator

Coating for chicken ~

1 cup self rising flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Heat large frying pan with 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.  When heated, dip chicken in flour mixture and add to pan.  Cook until golden brown and inside temperature registers 165°.



Buttermilk Waffles ~

1 cup flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 cup room temperature buttermilk
2 tbsp butter, melted


Sift together dry ingredients.  In a large mixing cup or small bowl, combine the egg, buttermilk and butter.  Gradually stir in dry ingredients.  Bake in waffle maker per manufacturer's instructions.

Gravy ~

Remove chicken when cooked.  Add in ~

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup buttermilk
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt butter in frying pan with drippings.  Stir in flour and allow to cook for one minute.  Stir in chicken broth and whisk until flour is incorporated into broth.  Stir in the buttermilk and allow to thicken.  Season to taste.

Turkey Cordon Bleu

Naps kept trying to interfere with me making this dinner but it was worth the wait for this combination plus the buttermilk gravy that I made to go with it.  

Turkey Cordon Bleu with Buttermilk Gravy

2 turkey tenderloin breasts
deli sliced honey ham
Provolone cheese slices

2 large eggs, beaten

1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp paprika

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

Pound turkey breasts until 1/4" thick.  Place slices of ham and Provolone cheese on top, roll up and tie with bakers string or secure with toothpicks.  Have 2 bowls and one plate ready.  In the first bowl, have the beaten eggs.  In the second bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper.  Place the Panko crumbs evenly on a dinner plate.  Dip the tied turkey breasts in the eggs, then roll in the flour mixture and finally roll on the plate before putting in a hot frying pan that has 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in it.  Brown on all sides before putting in a greased baking dish.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350°.  Bake until  the internal temperature reaches 165°.  Remove from pan and allow to rest.  

Pour pan drippings back into frying pan and add the following~

Buttermilk Gravy

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp flour 
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Whisk all these ingredients together and cook over medium heat until the gravy thickens.  Serve over cut slices of the turkey cordon bleu.