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Tennessee Hot Fried Pork Chop Sandwich
Tennessee Hot Fried Pork Chop Sandwich
The concept of “Tennessee Hot” in the fried chicken world can be traced back as far as the 1930s. There are couple things that specifically makes Tennessee hot. The chicken is always marinated in buttermilk. The buttermilk acts as a tenderizer and adds a richness in flavor. The chicken is dredged in a heavily seasoned flour. The chicken is then pan fried. The chicken is then placed on top of slices of white bread. Some of the oil used in frying is mixed with cayenne, smoked paprika, brown sugar, garlic, and chili powder to create a hot sauce. The chicken is then brushed with this hot sauce, creating Tennessee hot fried chicken; served with a side of pickles.I took the concept and applied it to a fried pork chop sandwich. The chops were marinated in buttermilk, dredged in flour, fried, and brushed with the Tennessee style hot sauce. I placed them on toasted onion rolls and topped with a slice of mozzarella cheese. I served the sandwich with my pineapple coleslaw(the coleslaw helps balance the heat). You can also make this sandwich with chicken, and even a white fish fillet such as tilapia or catfish.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2-6 oz boneless pork chops hammered to 1/2” thick
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- vegetable oil for frying
- 2 onion rolls toasted
- 2 slices mozzarella cheese
- sweet pickles
Tennessee Hot Sauce
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup vegetable warm; use the leftover oil from frying the pork chops
Instructions
- Marinate the pork chops in the buttermilk for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
- Mix together the flour, cornstarch, salt, cayenne, paprika, garlic, onion, and black pepper.
- Dredge the pork in the flour on both sides, making sure that they are evenly coated.
- Heat up a 1/2” of vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Carefully lay the pork chops into the oil.
- Fry for 4-5 minutes a side.
- Lay the pork chops on the rolls.
- Mix together the hot sauce ingredients.
- Brush the pork chops with the hot sauce.
420 Buttermilk Pancakes
420 Buttermilk Pancakes
Wake and bake times 10. If you really want to start your day on a high note, I recommend incorporating some 420 butter into your buttermilk pancakes. Besides making it possible to leave orbit, they are easy to make and better than any box pancake mix out there.
Equipment
- nonstick griddle
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 3 tbsp 420 butter melted
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- vegetable oil
- maple syrup
Instructions
- Mix together the dry ingredients. Mix together the wet ingredients.
- Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Heat up 2 tbsp of vegetable oil on a griddle over medium heat. Drop a 1/4 cup of pancake batter on all 4 corners of the griddle.
- Cook the pancakes for 3 minutes a side.
Polska Kielbasa
Polska Kielbasa
In Polish, kielbasa simply means “sausage.” What we consider to be kielbasa in America is called Polska Kielbasa wedzona in Poland. This particular version of polska kielbasa is very similar to the Polish government’s official recipe. Yes, Poland has an official recipe.There are a few things that make kielbasa, kielbasa. Kielbasa is always smoked; specifically with cherry wood. The only place you will find raw kielbasa is at a Polish deli in Poland. Kielbasa is usually around 70-80% pork, with the rest being beef. The main flavor profile of kielbasa comes from garlic and marjoram. Salt, sugar, and black pepper accent the sausage. Lastly, all kielbasa is cured using pink curing salts. This adds what I like to call “hamminess” to the sausage.Grind the meat on the fine grinding plate. Mix in all of the seasonings. Then mix in ice water to help the fat bind to the meat. Stuff through the stuffer using hog casings. Make each kielbasa about 18” long. Tie the ends of the casing together to make loop. Let dry in the refrigerator overnight before smoking.When ready to smoke, preheat the smoker to 250 degrees. Tie the kielbasa to the top rack with twine to allow them to hang. Place all of the kielbasa in the smoker. Let the wood chips ignite and smoke for 10 minutes. Then drop the heat down to 185 degrees. You will want to smoke the kielbasa low and slow so you don’t render out the fat. Repeat this process one more time. The kielbasa take about 3 hours to reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees. Once finished, place the kielbasa in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Drain the water, then let cool more in the refrigerator overnight. Kielbasa can be grilled, pan fried, and even broiled. They’re great sliced and sautéed with sauerkraut, served with a whole grain mustard. You can either wrap any extra kielbasa in freezer paper or even vacuum seal them down, storing in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Equipment
- grinder
- sausage stuffer
- Electric Smoker
- Probe Thermometer
Ingredients
- 4 lbs pork shoulder cubed
- 1 lb chuck cubed
- 2 tbsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pink curing salts
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp marjoram
- 2 tsp sugar
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup ice water
- pork casings
Wood Chips
- cherry wood
Instructions
- Grind the pork and beef with the fine grinding plate on your grinder.
- Thoroughly mix in by hand all of the dried spices. Then mix in the ice water. Put the sausage in the refrigerator until you are ready to stuff it.
- Pipe the sausage in the casings through the stuffer, making each kielbasa about 18” long. Tie the ends of the casings together to form a loop. Let your kielbasas dry out in the refrigerator overnight.
- Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. When ready to smoke, tie your kielbasa to the top rack with twine so they can hang during the smoking process. Once all of the kielbasa are hung and the smoker is at 250 degrees, place them in the smoker. Let the wood chips get lit for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 185 degrees.
- Change out the wood chips every 90 minutes until the sausages reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees.
- When the kielbasa reach temp, cut them from the twine. Immediately place the kielbasa in an ice water bath to stop them from cooking.
- Drain the ice water. Let the kielbasa sit overnight in the refrigerator before use.
