Country-Fried Pork with Gravy
By America's Test KitchenPublished on December 22, 2011
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Gravy
3 tablespoons unsalted butter ¼ cup finely chopped onion 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 garlic clove, minced1 teaspoon dried sage leaves ½ teaspoon paprika 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup whole milk 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce Salt and pepperPork
2 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup cornstarch 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons onion powder Salt and pepper 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ½ cup whole milk 2 large eggs 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut crosswise into 4 pieces1 cup peanut or vegetable oilBefore You Begin
Make the gravy first so the crisp pork doesn’t turn soggy waiting for it.
Instructions
- Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, garlic, sage, and paprika and cook, whisking constantly, until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth and milk and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside. (Gravy can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
- Meanwhile, combine flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, 2 teaspoons pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, baking powder, and cayenne in bowl. Transfer 1 cup seasoned flour to shallow dish. Whisk 6 tablespoons milk and eggs together in second shallow dish. Stir remaining 2 tablespoons milk into remaining seasoned flour, rub with fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal, and transfer to third shallow dish.
- Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Lightly score both uncut sides of pork pieces in ¼-inch crosshatch pattern. Working 1 piece at a time, coat pork lightly in seasoned flour. Place pork between 2 sheets plastic wrap and pound to ¼-inch thickness; remove plastic. Coat pork again with seasoned flour, dip into egg mixture, and dredge in milk and flour mixture, pressing firmly to adhere. Arrange pork on wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes or up to 4 hours.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Warm gravy over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Fry 2 pieces pork until deep golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on clean wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Fry remaining pork. Serve with gravy.
for the gravy
for the pork
Time
1½ hoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Gravy
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
½ teaspoon paprika
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
Pork
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
Salt and pepper
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut crosswise into 4 pieces
1 cup peanut or vegetable oil
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Gravy
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
½ teaspoon paprika
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
Pork
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
Salt and pepper
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut crosswise into 4 pieces
1 cup peanut or vegetable oil
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Gravy
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
½ teaspoon paprika
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
Pork
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
Salt and pepper
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut crosswise into 4 pieces
1 cup peanut or vegetable oil
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
The term “country fried” (or chicken fried) implies a floury, craggy, crispy coating. But translating this coating from steak to pork was harder than we thought. Starting with boneless, center cut pork loin gave us dry and tough results. If not pounded thinly enough, and it was very difficult to pound this cut thin, it took too long to cook, leaving the coating burned. To solve the problem, we switched to pork tenderloin, which pounded out much more easily. Dredging the pork in seasoned flour before pounding helped the coating adhere. Adding a bit of milk to the final flour coating gave us the craggy texture we were looking for.
Before You Begin
Make the gravy first so the crisp pork doesn’t turn soggy waiting for it.
Instructions
- Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, garlic, sage, and paprika and cook, whisking constantly, until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth and milk and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside. (Gravy can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
- Meanwhile, combine flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, 2 teaspoons pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, baking powder, and cayenne in bowl. Transfer 1 cup seasoned flour to shallow dish. Whisk 6 tablespoons milk and eggs together in second shallow dish. Stir remaining 2 tablespoons milk into remaining seasoned flour, rub with fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal, and transfer to third shallow dish.
- Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Lightly score both uncut sides of pork pieces in ¼-inch crosshatch pattern. Working 1 piece at a time, coat pork lightly in seasoned flour. Place pork between 2 sheets plastic wrap and pound to ¼-inch thickness; remove plastic. Coat pork again with seasoned flour, dip into egg mixture, and dredge in milk and flour mixture, pressing firmly to adhere. Arrange pork on wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes or up to 4 hours.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Warm gravy over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Fry 2 pieces pork until deep golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on clean wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Fry remaining pork. Serve with gravy.
for the gravy
for the pork
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