I had never had fried pork chops until I started dating Elliotte. The closest thing I had ever had was shake and bake. Needless to say, Elliotte was appalled by this. It had been years since the first (and only) time we'd had fired pork chops together, so Elliotte decided to make them for me again.
When it comes to frying pork chops, Elliotte is a pro. Through him I've learned that pan-frying creates delightfully crunchy and moist pork chops without requiring quite so much oil. I forgot that this was his technique and I kept talking about how we didn't have a pot big enough to fry them in....and he looked at me like I was crazy. "Mallory, don't you remember from The Help, you use a pan."
First he poured 1 inch of oil into a large skillet to heat. I kept asking (like a little kid), "Is it ready yet?" And he kept saying no. I didn't understand how he would know when it was hot enough, but then I learned...he tested the oil by splashing a few drops of water into the oil. Elliotte could tell it was ready when the oil bubbled continuously once the water hit it.
While the oil was heating, Elliotte dipped the pork chops in flour; followed by egg wash; and finally a mixture of flour, salt, group pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Carefully, he placed the chops, 2 at a time, into the hot oil, and cooked until the outside was golden brown, turning only once.
To ensure the chops were cooked through, Elliotte took 1 chop out and made a small cut at the thickest part to check for doneness. If necessary, adjust time accordingly for the rest.
Drain (or blot) on paper towels before serving, removing excess grease.
[...] You can also bake the mac & cheese at this point. Just place in a baking dish and top with a generous sprinkling of cheese (or bread crumbs? or whatever you put on top of baked mac & cheese). Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 10 minutes until cheese has melted and begins to brown. This mac & cheese made a perfect side dish to my pan-fried pork chops. [...]
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