Hi Lovies!  How is everyone?  I hope that you are all surviving this very weird time in our lives.  We are still doing the stay at home thing here in Illinois.  At least, most people are.  I know that there are some who have just had enough and have broken out.  Not me.  I am trying my best to play by the rules here for everyone’s sake.  I hate not being able to hug my boys, my sisters or my dad but I also don’t want for any of them to get sick.  I believe that I can stick it out a bit longer.  It is stressful though.  The worry and anxiety can be overwhelming.  And, like many people, when I am anxious I turn to food.  Yeah, I know, not healthy, yada yada yada.  I have come to accept that this is me and I can only do the best with what I have and what I am.  So, I like to bake and cook when I am worried.  That doesn’t mean I have to eat all of it.  It just makes me happy to make it.  It is something that I can control and that makes me feel more grounded.  

Now, I don’t know about you but I am a huge fan of comfort foods and that is what I naturally turn to in worrisome times.  A really good, filling soup or macaroni and cheese or bread pudding are typical comfort foods. I do love all of those and make them from time to time.   But, if I am stressed out, I begin to crave the dishes that my mom made when I was a kid..or at least a version of them.  One of my favorite suppers when I lived with my parents was fried pork chops and milk gravy.  Sometimes Mom would make mashed potatoes to serve with the gravy but if she was pressed for time she would just use a slice of white bread as a substitute.  I actually prefer the bread, I think.  Mom usually just floured her pork chops before frying and they are certainly delicious that way.  However, I think that my husband’s method is even better.  I was lucky enough to marry someone who can cook.  This has been especially great since I have started working full time again because, when I am going to my office, I don’t make it home until after 6:00.  Most nights, my husband has to make our supper.  When I pull my car into the garage and step out I can usually tell what he is cooking by the aroma.  When I smell these pork chops I am instantly comforted.  They are moist and flavorful with a nice thick, and slightly crispy breading.

I don’t know if this recipe comes from my husband’s family.  I think that he has taken a dish from his childhood and made it his own.  So, we have named them Turpin Breaded Pork Chops. We love these pork chops.  They do remind me of a fall or winter dish but we make them all year round.  I think that the sides that you serve with them determine what seasonal vibe you get.  Mashed potatoes are always a safe bet but coleslaw and corn on the cob are great for summer while fried apples and green beans are cozy cold weather sides that pair well with these. Browning these pork chops gives them a nice thick and crispy breading and the steaming process guarantees that they are super juicy and tender.  They are perfect in every way.

There are very few ingredients for this recipe.  You will just need 4 – 6 nice pork chops.  I like to use the sirloin chops for this but feel free to use whatever you have.  Just be aware that the really thick chops need to get done in the middle and the breading might brown too much.  I find that the sirloin chops are slightly thicker than your ordinary chops and still stay nice and juicy but the breading does not burn. You will also need 4 eggs (lightly beaten), 2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper and 1 ½ cups crushed saltines (1 sleeve of crackers should do it).  And you will need about ¼ to ½ inch of canola or vegetable oil in your skillet.  If you want to make fewer or more pork chops just adjust the dredging ingredients.  This recipe is very flexible.