Middle of Nowhere

For those who don't believe I'm in the middle of freaking nowhere, here is the view from the end of the driveway down the road, and this is the view across the road.

Pork chop sandwiches!

I love it when I try throwing something together and it comes out great.

First I started with 4 pork chops, which I sprinkled on both sides with salt and fresh pepper and let sit for about 10 minutes.

I melted a half-stick of butter and about 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat, then when it was sizzling, I carefully arranged the pork chops so they fit.  I then fried the chops on one side for 1 minute, then the other side for another minute.  Then I covered the skillet, reduced the heat to low, and cooked the chops for 5 minutes, flipped them over again, and cooked covered for another 5 minutes.

Then I removed the chops to a plate and sprinkled about 3 tablespoons of flour into the skillet and turned up the heat.  I stirred the flour and pan juices with a wire whisk until the raw flour taste was cooked out and the flour was well incorporated.  Then I slowly added a 1/2 cup of red wine and 1-1/2 cups of beef stock, whisking the whole time so that the gravy was smooth.  Then I cooked it on medium heat for a while until the sauce had thickened and most of the alcohol was cooked out.

Spoon rice onto a plate, arrange the chops on top, then drizzle with the gravy.