Fried pork chops are a staple of southern home-cooking. Nothing could be easier - just sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of rib or loin chops, dip them in self-rising flour, and fry in oil, lard, or bacon drippings until brown and a little crispy. Don't over cook, because today's pork is very lean and will dry out if cooked longer than a couple of minutes. You still run the risk of a tough, dry result because the leaner, healthier pig has been stripped of all the fat marbling that made the chops of our childhood so juicy and meltingly tender.
Don't despair - there is a delicious alternative, which is also less expensive and universally available - Boneless Pork Ribs.
FRIED PORK RIBS
Two Servings
Buy 1 1/2 pounds of boneless ribs, which may be labeled as country ribs or boneless loin strips. (They are fingers of boneless pork, up to 1 1/2 inches wide, an inch thick, and around 4 inches long.) Find them in the supermarket pork section where the Boston Butt and Pork Ribs cuts are displayed.
You'll also need:
Self-rising flour - about 1 1/2 cup
A mixture of salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and celery salt
(Or take a short cut and use Morton's Natures Seasoning)
A sprinkle of oregano and/or sage (optional)
Ground cayenne pepper (optional)
Canola Oil
Bacon Drippings (optional)
Buttermilk for marinating (optional step, described below)
To Prepare:
Rinse pork and lay out on wax paper. If the strips are wider than an inch, you may want to cut them in half, lengthwise, so they will cook more uniformly. Sometimes, I butterfly the strips to make a thinner, wider piece - but I usually cut them to look like large French Fries.
Sprinkle heavily with the seasoning mixture you have chosen to use, including cayenne, if desired. Drop the strips into a quart-size storage bag. If you have the time, you can improve flavor and tenderness by pouring 1/2 cup of buttermilk over the strips in the bag. Either way, place the sealed bag in the refrigerator to marinate and absorb seasonings for at least 30 minutes - or several hours, or overnight.
About 30 minutes before beginning to cook the strips, remove the bag from the refrigerator and drain the strips. Mix flour and 1 teaspoon seasoning in a fresh quart bag, drop the strips, 2 or 3 at the time, into the flour, seal bag and shake until strips are well-coated. Arrange the floured strips on a sheet of wax paper. Repeat until all strips are floured. Let the strips rest for a few minutes while the oil heats on medium high (include bacon drippings if you have them).
When the cooking fat is hot enough (a little flour will bubble up vigorously), carefully place one strip into the hot oil. If it begins to bubble around the edges immediately, add more strips but do not crowd the pan. You need to have about 1/2 inch space between each piece to assure a good, crispy crust. Using tongs, turn over the strips when the bottom is brown (about one minute), cover the pan loosely with a piece of foil, and cook the other side until done. Two or three minutes total cooking time is all that you need. The foil is great to reduce splattering and it also speed up cooking. Lift foil to check progress a couple of times, then remove the foil and cook the last few seconds uncovered.
Drain the cooked strips on a rack set over a plate or cooking pan. If you are cooking in more than two batches, keep the cooked strips warm in a 200 degree oven with the door slightly open. Serve hot or at room temperature. Like fried chicken, this is good even when not served immediately, but the warm juices that flow from a 'freshly fried' strip is wonderful. I usually serve these with the same type of sides I'd use with pork chops - try mashed potatoes, peas, and sliced tomato. You can even make some country gravy from the drippings with they aren't too dark, and that is heavenly over rice or mash potatoes.
Double or triple the recipe to feed more people or to have intentional left-overs, which are delicious in a plain-white-bread sandwich the next day.
