Can you say comfort food at its finest? This is a variation of the dish that earned me my spot on Season 8 of MasterChef, made even better by changing it up a bit from an ordinary chicken fried crust using random ingredients I happened to have in the #uglykitchen. I wanted something crunchy, but didn't want a heavy flour crust or a typical panko, so reached for the leftover cereal from the holiday treats, and voila! Don't be afraid to try new things and get creative, adding your own personal touch. As I always say, a recipe is merely a guideline, not a hard and fast rule. After all, if no one ever colored outside the lines or stepped outside the box, life would get awfully dull!
What's the craziest ingredient you've ever used to create a dish worth repeating?
Rice Krispie-crusted Chicken Fried Pork Chops Ingredients: 6 ¾ - 1” Thick-cut Pork Chops
2 C All Purpose Flour
2 Eggs
1 C Buttermilk – can substitute Milk, Half & Half or Heavy Cream
1 C All Purpose Flour
1 C Rice Krispies cereal
1 T Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 T Kosher Salt Brine: ¼ C Kosher Salt
¼ C Brown Sugar
1 qt Water
2 T Ground Black Pepper
1 t Red Chile Flakes Instructions: 1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine all ingredients for Brine and allow to come to a boil until all ingredients are saturated.
2. Remove from heat and pour into large mixing bowl, add ice to cool. Add Pork Chops and allow to sit for at least an hour, up to 2 hours.
3. Preheat Deep Fryer to 350°.
4. In small food processor, combine Rice Krispies, 1 C Flour, Pepper & Salt and pulse 4-5 times, leaving mixture coarsely ground, transfer to small baking pan or bowl large enough to dip Chops.
5. In bowl large enough to dip Chops, beat together Eggs & Buttermilk. 6. In 3rd bowl or pan large enough to dip Chops, add remaining 2 C Flour.
7. Remove Chops from Brine, rinse and pat dry.
8. Dip each Chop in Flour, then Egg Wash, then Rice Krispie/Flour mixture to thoroughly coat all sides.
9. Deep Fry at 350° until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. It is acceptable for Chops to be slightly pink in the center. Remove to cooling rack over baking sheet and allow to rest for just a few minutes prior to serving. Serve with Jalapeño Cream Gravy (recipe to follow), garnish with sliced fresh Jalapeños and Cilantro Microgreens.
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