Country Fried Pork Bacon Gravy (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ For the pork chops

01 - 4 pork chops, bone-in or boneless, approximately 1.25 cm thick
02 - 240 ml buttermilk (or 240 ml whole milk plus 5 ml vinegar)
03 - 125 g all-purpose flour
04 - 2.5 ml garlic powder
05 - 2.5 ml onion powder
06 - 2.5 ml smoked paprika
07 - Salt, to taste
08 - Black pepper, to taste
09 - Vegetable oil, for shallow frying

→ For the bacon gravy

10 - 4 slices streaky bacon, chopped
11 - 30 ml reserved bacon drippings or unsalted butter
12 - 16 g all-purpose flour
13 - 360 ml whole milk
14 - Salt, to taste
15 - Black pepper, generous amount, to taste

# Instructions:

01 - Pat pork chops thoroughly dry and season both sides with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
02 - Pour buttermilk into a shallow dish. In a separate shallow dish, combine all-purpose flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
03 - Dip each pork chop into the buttermilk, ensuring full coverage. Next, press each chop into the seasoned flour mixture, coating evenly and firmly. Let breaded chops rest for a few minutes while heating oil.
04 - Heat approximately 60 ml of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat to a depth of 0.5 cm. When shimmering, gently lay in pork chops. Fry 3–4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 63°C.
05 - Transfer fried chops to a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
06 - In a clean skillet or the same pan with excess oil wiped away, cook chopped bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, reserving 30 ml bacon fat in the pan.
07 - Add flour to the bacon drippings and whisk constantly for 1–2 minutes to form a light roux.
08 - Gradually whisk in whole milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until gravy thickens, about 3–5 minutes. Stir in the reserved bacon. Season generously with black pepper and salt to taste.
09 - Ladle bacon gravy generously over the fried pork chops and serve immediately.

# Notes:

01 - For added heat, stir a pinch of cayenne pepper into the seasoned flour mix.
02 - Fry pork chops in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding and ensure optimal crispiness.