Kirsten's Fried Pork Chops with Country Gravy

Last week, lured by an exceptional sale, I bought a pack of pork chops. After I got home and started unloading my groceries, I wondered what the heck I was thinking. Sure, I’m weak and pathetic when it comes to a bargain; still, I hadn’t made pork chops in years. I decided to pull out the behemoth that was the cookbook of favorite recipes that my husband and I had put together over our 23 years, and came across this one. It had been heavily annotated, including the mention of how quick and easy these were, and how much we both enjoyed them. That was all I needed to hear. Brining is of the utmost importance here so don’t skip that step. Do make these. They are, indeed, quick and easy, and they certainly are delicious!

Kirsten's Fried Pork Chops with Country Gravy

From food.com, adapted, edited for clarity

 Basic Brine:

3 c. boiling water

¼ c. kosher salt

¼ c. sugar

2 c. ice cubes

6 bone-in pork rib chops (each 1/2-inch thick) or 6 boneless pork chops

 Country Gravy:

½ lb. bulk fresh sausage

2 T. flour

2 c. half-and-half, plus additional if needed

Freshly grated nutmeg

¼ t. Worcestershire sauce

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)

 ½ c. flour

Sausage fat or bacon fat

 To make the brine:

Put the water in a large bowl and stir in the salt and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Add ice cubes and cool the mixture to at least 45ºF. 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.

 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 T. of the fat and discard. Reserve the fat in a cup for cooking chops. 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.

 To cook chops:

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. To serve, put 1 chop on each plate and spoon the gravy over the top. Serve extra gravy on the side to pour biscuits or grits.

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