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.
For the cooking process, you will need a large skillet, a large baking pan or shallow roaster and a rack that can fit down inside of the baking pan.
You will also need 3 shallow pans or bowls. Beat the eggs in one of the bowls. Add flour, salt and pepper to the second bowl and mix well. Crush the saltines by putting them in a large bag and use a rolling pin to create coarse crumbs. It is better to keep these coarse rather than pulverize them in the food processor. The little chunks create a nice crust.
Place the cracker crumbs in the third bowl. Line the bowls up with flour first, eggs second and crackers third and you will have a pork chop assembly line.
Before you begin coating and frying, prepare a baking dish that is large enough to hold all of your pork chops. We use an enamelware roasting pan. You will also need to place a rack in the bottom of the pan. You need the rack because you will add just enough water to cover the bottom of the baking pan and your pork chops should not be touching the water. The water will create a nice steaming process. My mom used to call this type of cooking smothering. She did not make pork chops this way, that I can remember, but she used this method for chicken. Especially the older hens that she would dress which would be a bit tough if just fried or baked. Anyway, set the prepared pan with rack aside and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Start heating the oil in your skillet. I can tell that my oil is hot enough when I drop a pinch of the cracker crumbs in and they immediately sizzle and stay on top.
If your chops are very wet you should pat them dry. If I take mine directly from the package I don’t need to do this. Dredge the chops in flour first. Then dip the pork chops in the eggs. Then, dip the chops in the cracker crumbs and press down a bit. Flip the chop over so that crumbs cover the entire surface. Use your hands to press the crumbs onto the chops. Repeat until all of the pork chops are coated.
Carefully add the chops to the hot oil in the skillet. Fry until golden (3 – 5 minutes) and then flip. Continue frying until the chops are browned on both sides. Tip: if you want to make a nice milk gravy to serve with the chops save your bowl of flour. Use some of the leftover flour to make the gravy.
Place the browned chops on the rack in the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with a little more pepper. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. It should not touch the pork chops on the rack. Cover the pan tightly with foil. Place in the center of your oven and bake for 35 minutes or until done. The baking time will depend greatly on the thickness of your pork chops and how many you are baking. Just check the internal temperature or cut one in the middle to make sure that the juices run clear. When the chops are cooked through you can remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes to crisp the coating. If you want the breading to be softer you can skip this step.
Serve these beautiful breaded and baked chops with a nice milk gravy on top for a real treat. Dig in and feel the anxiety of the day slip away. Enjoy!
Turpin Breaded Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 – 6 pork chops
- 4 eggs lightly beaten
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 cups saltine crackers crushed
- 2 cups canola or vegetable oil approximately
- 1 cup water approximately
Instructions
Equipment preparation
- You will need a large skillet, a large baking pan or roaster and a rack that will fit into the baking pan or roaster.
- Place the rack in the baking pan or roaster. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan but not enough to reach the rack. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add enough canola or vegetable oil to the skillet to create a depth of about 1/2 inch. Set aside.
To prepare pork chops
- You will need 3 shallow pans or bowls.
- Beat the eggs in one of the bowls.
- Add flour, salt and pepper to the second bowl and mix well.
- Crush the saltines by putting them in a large bag and use a rolling pin to create coarse crumbs. It is better to keep these coarse rather than pulverize them in the food processor. The little chunks create a nice crust. Place the cracker crumbs in the third bowl.
- Line the bowls up with flour first, eggs second and crackers third.
- Start heating the oil in your skillet. I can tell when my oil is hot enough when I drop a pinch of the cracker crumbs in and they immediately sizzle and stay on top.
- If your chops are very wet you should pat them dry. If I take mine directly from the package I don’t need to do this. Dredge the chops in flour first. Then dip the pork chops in the eggs. Then, dip the chops in the cracker crumbs and press down a bit. Flip the chop over so that crumbs cover the entire surface. Use your hands to press the crumbs onto the chops. Repeat until all of the pork chops are coated.
- Carefully add the chops to the hot oil in the skillet. Fry until golden (3 – 5 minutes) and then flip. Continue frying until the chops are browned on both sides.
- Place the browned chops on the rack in the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with a little more pepper. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. It should not touch the pork chops on the rack. Cover the pan tightly with foil. Place in the center of your oven and bake for 35 minutes or until done.
- When the chops are cooked through you can remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes to crisp the coating. If you want the breading to be softer you can skip this step.
- Remove from the oven and serve. These are especially good with milk gravy.
