For an easy weeknight indulgence that is as crispy, crunchy, and succulent as fried chicken, make these skillet-sautéed pork chops. The key here is to pound the pork chops until they are very thin—sort of like German schnitzel—or buy them thinly sliced. (They can usually be found in the prepackaged section of your grocery’s meat department; in the South, they are labeled “breakfast chops.”)

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　Six 4-ounce bone-in pork chops

　　Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　1/2 cup all-purpose flour

　　2 large eggs, lightly beaten

　　1/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk

　　1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (see Know-how, page 134)

　　1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) finely grated Parmesan cheese

　　2 tablespoons fresh thyme

　　2 tablespoons canola oil

　　

Step 1

Place the pork chops between two pieces of plastic and flatten with a mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet until the chops are of uniform thickness, about 1/4 inch. Season both sides with salt and pepper to taste.

　　

Step 2

Place the flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper to taste. Combine the eggs and buttermilk in a separate shallow bowl and stir to combine. Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and thyme in a shallow bowl and stir to mix. Dust each chop with the flour on both sides, shaking off any excess, then dip it in the egg mixture and press into the bread crumb mixture to coat evenly on both sides.

　　

Step 3

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until sizzling hot (see Know-how, page 100). Add the pork chops, cooking in batches and adding more oil if needed, and sauté about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.

　　

On the Side

Step 4

These crispy chops are at their best with Summer Succotash (page 232), Cucumber and Heirloom Tomato Salad (page 269), Baked Rosemary Sweet Potato Halves (page 240), or a vinegary heap of Roxy’s Grated Coleslaw (page 260) and a full-bodied amber ale for sipping.

　　Reprinted with permission from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal by Sara Foster. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Sara Foster is the owner of Foster's Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafés in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the author of several cookbooks including The Foster's Market Cookbook, winner of the Best Cookbook Award from the Southeast Booksellers Association. She has appeared numerous times on Martha Stewart Living Television and NBC's Today show. She has also been featured in magazines such as More, House Beautiful, and Southern Living, and is featured regularly in Bon Appétit.