Center–cut or bone–in pork chops work best here. The bone adds valuable flavor to the meat and prevents it from drying out.

Simply dredging the pork chops in flour, as most recipes instruct, produced a spotty, insubstantial crust that wouldn’t stay put. We recalled that the test kitchen had success letting floured chicken rest before re–dredging and frying. The second dredge made for a sturdier, more substantial crust. Sure enough, our double–dipped chops emerged from the pan with a hefty, crisp, golden brown crust.

To flavor the crust, we settled on garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Applying the spices directly to the meat, rather than adding it to the flour, let us season the chops more thoroughly.

Augmenting the oil with the fat from three slices of bacon gave the dish succulence and a depth of smoky flavor that, combined with the garlicky, golden crust, had tasters licking their chops.