Cornmeal Crusted Pork Chops

I found the inspiration for this recipe after Michael took me to dinner at Bourbon's Bistro in Louisville. It's probably one of the nicest restaurants I've been to (but that may or may not be saying that much). Michael and I had come in first and second in the March Madness Bracket for my work that year, and we took our winnings and blew them on a fabulous meal. I had the pork chops which were served much like the ones I'm going to share with you.

This recipe can also be found in the recipe book that I made to use for favors at Michael's and my wedding. I've made a few changes since then, but it's pretty much the same. Here's what you need:
4 pork loin chops (the ones pictured are butterflied, but I only got those because they were 20 cents cheaper per pound and all I had to do was cut them in half.)
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 to 1/2 c cornmeal (you can also use jiffy corn muffin mix if you are in a pinch..I've done that before)
1/4 to 1/2 c buttermilk
2 tbsp olive oil (or other oil for pan frying)

Mmmmm....pork.

Mix the dry ingredients and put in a shallow bowl or a plate.

Dip the chops in buttermilk.

Then plop them in the cornmeal mix, make sure to get both sides well coated.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium to medium high heat and throw the chops in there.

Flip the chops once the outside is nice and crispy, probably 4-5 minutes, depending on your skillet, etc. Just keep an eye on them. Depending on the thickness of the pork chops, they may need to be finished in the oven. I think I cooked these on the stove for about 5 minutes per side and then put them in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes more. They were still nice and juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside.

Enjoy!