Recipe: Iowa Skinny (cornmeal coated fried pork served on hamburger buns)

IOWA SKINNY

4 (6 to 7 ounces each) boneless center-cut pork loin chops
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
1/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly milled black pepper
Vegetable oil or shortening (for pan-frying)
FOR SERVING:
Soft hamburger buns
Lettuce leaves
Ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise, or a combination
Dill pickle slices

Place a pork chop between 2 sheets of wax paper and pound with a mallet to a thickness of 1/4 inch or less. It should be large, round and lacy-edged. You should be able to see through it places. Repeat with remaining chops.

On a plate, stir together the cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper.

Pour 1/2 inch of oil into a heavy skillet, or an electric one. Heat the oil to 365 degrees F.

Dredge the first pork chop heavily in the cornmeal-flour mixture and fry it until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. The chop will shrink by a couple of inches while frying but will remain large. Drain and repeat with the other pork chops, checking oil temperature each time.

Serve hot on buns with lettuce, spreading the buns thickly with ketchup or other condiments and serving pickles on the side.

Makes 4 sandwiches
Adapted from source: American Home Cooking by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison