Pan seared pork chops with red eye gravy, buttered peas and grits
Pork second courses
American cuisine
Red eye gravy is a traditional southern recipe that consists of country ham drippings and strong black coffee. There are a handful of stories telling how red eye gravy came into existence. My favorite tells of President Andrew Jackson requesting a gravy to accompany his country ham that matched the redness of his cook’s eyes (who was recovering from a night of drinking). This sauce is traditionally made by deglazing a cast iron skillet with a cup of black coffee after cooking country ham (bacon or sausage is sometimes used). This recipe is a version of that. Instead of country ham, I cook salt pork until the fat is rendered and then sear pork chops in this fat. The pan is deglazed with 1 cup of strong black coffee, a splash or two of whiskey and a few spices. What is left is a thin gravy rich in coffee flavor and the perfect brightener to pork chops, grits and buttered peas. The method of preparation of grits comes from Sean Brock’s cookbook Heritage. There is no cheese in these grits, however, white cheddar would be an excellent addition.
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