Old Fashioned Fried Pork Chops

Old Fashioned Fried Pork Chops are one of my favorites, but I don’t fry many things these days. However, sometimes the old ways really are the best! I’ve used several different recipes for baking pork chops and pork steaks, but hands down, a fried chop is the family favorite. Here it is for all those new young cooks out there who didn’t have the opportunity or didn’t take the time to stand at the stove with your mother or grandmother and learn the tried and true old ways.

Certainly, you don’t need a fancy stove, expensive pans, or a garden full of fresh herbs to make food taste great. Sure those herbs are wonderful and I use them in a lot of recipes, but sometimes less is more. There’s a time and place for everything and it all depends on what flavor you’re trying to achieve. There are only 3 simple ingredients here, plus salt & pepper. Warning: dredging in flour and frying pork chops in oil can be super messy. I think it’s worth the mess, though, and it’s nothing a hot, soapy washrag can’t clean up. 😎

I must’ve been low-carbing it when I made pork chops on this occasion, but sometimes I make a delightful white gravy with the bits and pieces left in the bottom of the pan. We love it drizzled over boxed Stove Top Stuffing. Even though these are “pork” chops, we prefer the chicken flavor. This isn’t a meal we eat very often. It’s too high in fat and carbs to make it a weekly meal. But every 3 or 4 months we indulge. It tastes like home when I was a kid! Although I’m pretty sure my mom always served it with mashed potatoes. Jimmie and I took the Stove Top Stuffing commercials of our youth to heart! LOL

Old Fashioned Fried Pork Chops

Pork chops of any sort
Flour for dredging
Light olive oil or vegetable oil
Salt & pepper

Thoroughly dredge each chop in flour on both sides and the edges. Set aside until oil in pan is hot.

In a large frying pan, pour about a 1/2 cup of oil or so to cover the bottom about an 1/8″ deep. Turn heat to medium-high. When a drop of flour in the pan sizzle, using tongs, carefully add two or three chops or however many will fit without crowding.

Sprinkle tops with salt and pepper. Carefully turn over and salt and pepper the other side. Once frying well, turn heat back to medium, more or less, to keep them frying at a steady rate without burning.

Turn several times during cooking, until the chops are nicely browned and crispy on the outside and no longer pink on the inside. About 10-15 minutes or so, depending on thickness. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain and cover to keep warm while cooking the rest.

Hint: If your chop is curling up in the pan, make a slit in it from the outside edge inward with a sharp knife.