ma's pork chops

for some reason, when i hear pork chops, i automatically think of little house on the prairie. i have no idea why. but that's why this recipe is called "ma's" pork chops. because i feel like only people who lived in the middle of nowhere on a prairie would eat them. which is weird, because they're delicious. anyway, let's get started. you'll need some pork chops, oil, butter, salt, pepper, and cream of mushroom soup. dave likes the thin ones (chops, that is), but any chop will do.
pour some oil (1/4 cup) in the bottom of a large skillet, along with a tablespoon of butter. turn the heat to medium high, heating the oil and melting the butter.
slice the ends of the chops like this, through the fat, so they don't curl up as you brown them.
now coat each side in flour,
like so.
put your pork chop in the pan and leave it for a few minutes to brown.

add some salt
and pepper to each side.
i didn't cut the edges of these chops well enough, see how they curled and the chop didn't get brown in the middle? don't let that happen. it will be sad.
see that one in the back? you want it like that.
anyway, now open your can of cream of mushroom soup and pour it into the pan.
i've got to say, dave hates mushrooms. i always feel bad when i make this recipe because he hates them so much. but i don't add extra mushrooms, and he likes the flavor of cream of mushroom soup. he just has to pick out all the little bits of mushroom they put in there. he even emailed campbell's and asked them to make cream of mushroom without the mushroom bits. they said no.

anyway, after you get your cream of mushroom in there, then spread it out and put your pork chops on top of it.
oops. i forgot to pour off the grease. don't forget that step, or you'll have greasy gravy. yuck. pour off the grease before you add your cream of mushroom.

now turn the heat to low, cover, and cook for 40 minutes to an hour.
5 minutes before dinner is ready, remove the pork chops to a plate. turn the heat on the stove up to high and get the soup bubbling.
once it's bubbling, add milk 1/4 cup at a time.
stir with a whisk until it's well combined.
once it's the right (gravy) consistency, stop adding milk. let it start bubbling again, then turn the heat off and leave it for a minute or two.
give it one last stir and pour it into a bowl. serve over your pork chops and a baked potato (and with acorn squash, yum). once i've eaten all the peas out of my squash, i like to add some of this gravy and finish the rest of it (the squash). it's a really good meal.
ma's pork chops

4 pork chops
flour
salt & pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup
butter
oil
milk

cut the sides of your pork chops, and coat in flour. brown in a skillet with 1/4 cup oil and 1-2 tbsp. butter. once browned, pour in a can of cream of mushroom soup. place the pork chops on top of the soup, cover the pan, and turn heat to low. simmer for 40 minutes to an hour. remove pork chops to a plate, and turn heat to high. add milk to the soup 1/4 cup at a time until you get the right consistency. serve with baked potatoes and squash.