Gluten Free Southern Smothered Pork Chops with Kale Crisps and Mustard Mash

This heartwarming, down-home dish hails straight from America's deep south. It's comforting, soul food with a modern twist!

When people suss out I'm an American, there's usually two things they always ask:

1. Why would you move to rainy Manchester?! and
2. What do you miss most about America?

I always feel a bit let down by the Manchester comment; I love Manchester and I think it's one of the greatest cities on the planet! In terms of what I miss most, one of the things is the food. I'm a southern gal, bred in North Carolina and one of the things we southerners are known for is our hospitality and drop-dead delicious meals. You'll never leave a southern house hungry. And you'll never get invited into a southern house without being offered sweet tea and some type of baked good.

Although there's no baked goods in this dish, this is a modified version of one of the meals my mom used to make. In true southern style, everything is homemade from the mashed potatoes to the gravy giving it all a big, warm hug! Smothered pork chops with mashed potatoes is one of my favorite dishes and eating it here, thousands of miles from home is a nice feeling. Being able to share this down-home southern cooking with my family is nice as well! I enjoy plying my husband with soul food and one day, when my son is older, I hope he'll appreciate this side of his culture. Okay, enough with all the sentiments. Let's get to the recipe, shall we?!

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Ingredients: 

For the kale crisps
500g kale
drizzle of olive oil
sprinkling of sea salt

For the pork chops with gravy
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup gluten free all-purpose/plain flour
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp garlic granules
2 large pork chops
handful of fresh thyme, stalks and leaves

For the mustard mash
1 tsp English mustard powder
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp milk
4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
knob of butter
salt and pepper

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Instructions: 

Southern Smothered Pork Chops with Kale Crisps and Mustard Mash

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
2. Wash and dry the kale thoroughly, being sure to remove thick stalks, if desired.
3. Allow the kale to continue to dry while the oven preheats. Boil enough water to cover the diced potatoes.
4. Season the flour with onion powder, garlic granules, thyme sprigs, cayenne and salt and pepper.
5. Dredge each pork chop through the flour, coating on both sides. Set aside. Do NOT discard the seasoned flour mix.
6. Put the sunflower oil in the skillet and heat through. Meanwhile, drizzle the olive oil over the kale and sprinkle with salt. Mix well with hands and arrange on a baking tray and bake 10 to 15 minutes until crispy. 
7. Fry the pork chops three minutes on one side.
8. Check the potatoes for doneness by piercing them with a fork or knife. If the potatoes fall off the utensil immediately, they are done. If the potatoes are done, turn off the heat and cover. Do not drain yet as the hot water will keep the potatoes warm until you're ready to make the mash.
9. Flip the pork shops and cook for a further three minutes and set aside.
10. Remove the kale from the oven and set aside.
11. Sprinkle a bit of the reserved seasoned flour into the skillet. Whisk until dissolved.
12. Add the chicken broth and cook 5 minutes to allow the gravy to reduce and thicken.
13. Put the pork chops back in the pan with the gravy, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 more minutes until the pork chops are cooked through.
14. Drain the mashed potatoes and add the butter, mayonnaise, milk, salt, pepper and mustard to them. Mash well with a fork or potato masher. Use a wooden spoon to bring the mash together and mix everything well.
15. To serve, put the mashed potatoes on the plate first, followed by the pork chops. Spoon the gravy over both the pork chops and the mash and top with a generous helping of crispy kale.