• Line a baking sheet with parchment or aluminum foil and another baking sheet with a paper towel and a wire rack. Set aside.
• Add flour in a shallow dish and mix with garlic, salt, pepper, onion powder, thyme and smoked paprika.
• In another shallow bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg.
• Dredge pork chops in flour, coating both sides lightly.
• Place into egg and buttermilk and turn to coat both sides.
• Return to the flour mixture and turn to coat all over with flour.
• Dip once more into egg mixture and then into flour.
• Place breaded pork chops onto lined baking sheet.
• Add oil to a cast-iron skillet or dutch oven over high heat. Use a deep fry thermometer to bring the oil to 350°.
• Carefully lower pork chops into hot oil one at a time, keeping oil temperature between 350° and 400°.
• Cook pork chops for about 4- 5 minutes, carefully flip pork chops.
• Continue to cook until pork chops are golden brown and reach an internal temperature of 135° - 140° using a digital meat thermometer.
• Carefully remove pork chops, letting the excess oil drain from the pork chops and move to the wire rack lined baking sheet.
• Allow pork chops to rest while you prepare the gravy. Loosely cover with foil to keep warm.

How to Make Milk Gravy:

• Add bacon grease in a skillet and place over medium-high heat and whisk in flour. Cook until flour starts to brown.
• Whisk in milk, salt and pepper. Continue whisking until mixture is thickened. If you would like a richer gravy, add heavy cream.
• Once gravy has thickened, remove from heat.
• Serve pork chops topped with gravy.