When I left home, one of the things I most looked forward to was being able to cook what I wanted, when I wanted. The problem was that I had never made any of the meals that my mom specialized in; after a decade or so away from home, I started missing them. There were several winners in my mom’s repertoire, but the one I miss the most is her pork chops and rice. The same way that waffles are just an excuse to dip your bacon into maple syrup, the pork chops are merely a prop for the rice. Too creamy to be a pilaf, but not quite a risotto, this is classic southern rice and gravy, the kind of side dish that sits perfectly next to a mess of stewed greens and a perfectly seared then braised pork chop.
