Bernie's Pork Chop Sandwiches -- The Hands That Fed a Wedding

Simone Arceneaux marries in Lafayette. Big Cajun wedding. Tommy does the cooking — cochon de lait, boudin, gumbo for 200 people. Best wedding food anyone has ever had.

Tommy is 41. Luc (17) at LSU studying engineering. Colette (14) in high school, painting. Rémy (12) in school, cooking and fishing. Mama (67) in the cottage, slowing but cooking The week was marked by this moment — Angelle's daughter Simone gets married — and the food was made to match the moment, because in this family, every moment has a dish and every dish has a moment and the two are inseparable, the way the roux is inseparable from the gumbo, the way the Beaumonts are inseparable from the bayou.

Made boudin balls because the week demanded it and the kitchen answered and the stove held steady and the family gathered and the food was good. Come eat, cher.

After a week like that — cochon de lait, gumbo, boudin for 200, the whole Beaumont family moving through that kitchen like a single living thing — you don’t stop cooking when the wedding ends. You keep going, because the stove is still warm and the people are still hungry and that’s just how it works around here. Bernie’s Pork Chop Sandwiches are the kind of recipe that fits right into the day after a celebration: honest, filling, built for the people sitting at your table. Simone got her wedding feast; the rest of us get these, and that’s more than enough.

Bernie’s Pork Chop Sandwiches

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in pork chops, about 3/4 inch thick
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 4 hoagie rolls or sturdy sandwich buns, split
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• 8 dill pickle slices
• 1/2 small white onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Season the pork chops. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, salt, and cayenne. Rub the seasoning mix evenly over both sides of each chop.
2. Sear the chops. Heat vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet or heavy pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the pork chops and cook without moving them for 4—5 minutes per side, until a deep golden crust forms and the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
3. Butter-baste and rest. In the last minute of cooking, add the butter to the pan and tilt it to baste the chops. Remove chops from heat and let rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing or serving whole.
4. Toast the rolls. While the pork rests, place the split rolls cut-side down in the same skillet over medium heat for 1—2 minutes until lightly golden and warmed through.
5. Mix the spread. Stir together mayonnaise and yellow mustard in a small bowl. Spread generously on both cut sides of each toasted roll.
6. Build the sandwiches. Place a pork chop on the bottom half of each roll. Top with shredded lettuce, tomato slices, pickle chips, and onion. Close the sandwich, press gently, and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 610 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 31g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 890mg