Nashville hot pork chop sandwiches

Buttermilk brine the pork chops: butterfly each pork chop by cutting the chop across the flat side about two-thirds of the way through. Don't cut all the way. This will allow you to "open" the meat like a book.

Place your butterflied meat on a cutting board and cover it with a piece of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or something heavy like a cast-iron skillet, pound the plastic wrap-covered meat until each piece is about a quarter of an inch thick. 

Add your pounded pork chops to a zip-top bag or sealed container with the buttermilk and salt. Allow to brine in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to 4 hours. 

Pickle slaw: while the pork chops are brining in the fridge, add your water and dill pickle juice to a small pot and bring to a boil. Add sugar, mustard seeds, and salt and remove the pot from the heat. Stir the liquid to try to dissolve the sugar/salt as much as possible. Allow the pot to cool for 5 minutes and then add the liquid to a bowl with the cabbage, carrots, and radishes. Stir everything to combine. 

Store the slaw in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days. 

Dredging and frying the pork chops: After the pork chops have brined for a bit, set up a breading station with two bowls or plates. 

Dump the buttermilk brine and pork chops into the first bowl. 

The second bowl will contain all-purpose flour, salt, black pepper, and paprika. Mix to combine everything. 

Add a buttermilk-coated pork chop and coat it in the bowl with the flour mixture. Make sure to press the flour into the pork to fully coat each piece. 

Once each piece is fully coated, move back to the buttermilk bowl and re-coat it in buttermilk. Then repeat the process in the flour, effectively double dredging each pork chop with flour. 

In a pot or pan over medium-high heat, add 2 inches of peanut or other vegetable oil for frying. When the oil has reached 350 F degrees you are ready to fry. 

Add each pork chop or work in batches if they don't all fit in the pan without overlapping. 

Cook each pork chop on the first side for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. At this point, you can check for doneness with a meat thermometer. 145 is considered to be done for pork, but some people will prefer it more done than that. I personally pull mine out around 140 because it will continue to rise in temperature for a few minutes after being removed from the oil. 

Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to let some of the excess oil drip off. 

Make the Nashville hot paste/sauce: add all of your cayenne, brown sugar, paprika, and garlic powder to a heat-proof bowl or plate. Carefully spoon the hot oil over the spices and stir it all to create a somewhat thick sauce. 

Dunk each pork chop into the sauce, or carefully spoon the sauce over each pork chop until fully coated. 

Assemble the sandwich: slice your buns and add a Nashville hot pork chop to each bun with the pickle slaw or condiments of your choosing. 

Serve and enjoy.