Mmmmmm, a great Sunday supper. As I was frying some thinly sliced potatoes and onions in bacon fat over medium heat in a cast iron skillet, I prepped the pork chops. Standard stuff here, first a bit of flour, then equal parts of flour, corn meal and Survival Spice™. Classically, you would use some liquid between the first flour dredging and the final crust like buttermilk or egg, but I've found that with flat items like pork chops and fish, as long as there's a bit of moisture there and you have a few minutes to let it sit, you often don't need it.
Once the potatoes and onions were done, I took them out of the skillet and kept them warm. In went the pork chops with some more bacon grease. You do save bacon grease, don't you? Not too high of a heat or you'll burn the corn meal, plus the breading will stay on the chops much better if the meat doesn't shrink too quickly. Okay, turn the chops once, that's it. Off they go to keep warm with the potatoes.
Survival Country gravy? Easy. A bit of flour in the skillet to soak up the fat, then about 2 parts milk to 1 part cream. I know, it's not traditional country gravy, but the French culinary school training is never far away, I'm afraid. A bit more Survival Spice™ for a nice peppery freshness, then it's time to plate it up with some steamed broccoli. BTW, this is also wonderful with sausage and biscuits. If you don't have cream, just use extra milk and reduce it well.
I just wish I would have had some apple sauce. Next time, a rustic apple compote with it. I will be making this again.
I see the picture but I refuse to read the post. Why? Weight Watchers. Weight Watchers is why. Just looking at it is going to cost me. I can't imagine what reading it will do....Oh, hell.
Sauces in my cast-iron skillet always turn out some unwelcome shade of gray. What say you about this? Did you use a wooden spatula thingy to make the gravy? How did you keep it from discoloring?
Heh, Ana. I had done really well all day, brisk 5 mile walk, lots of fruit, a day of football with no beer, then it was dinner time. I have no excuse, really.
Wait, I've got one. I did it for the blog. Yeah, that's it. Only for the blog...
Gray gravy, hmmm. I'm assuming that your cast iron is really well seasoned, so the iron isn't reacting very much. I would try not to stir it more than you have to, and try not to scrape the skillet more than necessary.
I did use a wooden spoon here, but I didn't add much flour because I had cream, too, which thickened it up fairly quickly so it didn't cook long.
Anybody else have any ideas?