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Serves 6

Breaded Pork Chops

At the Yule ball, the feast in the Great Hall is a bit different from usual. Instead of food magically appearing on the table, a menu has been placed next to each setting. Dumbledore demonstrates how this works by saying out loud the item he wants to eat, which in his case is pork chops (see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 23).

If you were just a common man living in the old days, you may have chosen pigs to raise as livestock. Almost every poor family owned a pig. Pigs don't cost anything to feed, since they eat garbage and can forage for themselves. They also produce a lot of meat, and everything but “the eyes and the squeak,” as they say, can be used. (Try not to think too hard about that.)

4 6-ounce pork chops

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs, whisked

2 cups seasoned bread crumbs

Vegetable oil as neede

Remove the pork chops from the package and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

The breading process has three steps. The coating (breading) is a series of layers. Be sure to coat the food completely at each step of the process. You will need a bowl or large plastic bag for the flour; a bowl for the eggs; and a bowl for the bread crumbs.

Place the pork chops in the bowl of flour and turn them to coat evenly (or place the pork chops into the bag of flour and toss to coat evenly). Remove the chops from the flour and place in the bowl of beaten eggs; turn to coat completely. Lift out and let the excess eggs drain back into the bowl. Place the egg-coated chops in the third bowl of bread crumbs and turn to coat completely.

Fill a heavy skillet with enough oil to reach a depth of ¼ inch and heat to 350°F. If you don't have a thermometer to check the temperature, watch for the oil to begin moving (dancing) in the pan. Once that happens, sprinkle a pinch of bread crumbs into the oil. If they sizzle, the oil is ready. If the oil is smoking, it is too hot. If that happens, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool until the smoking stops. Then return the pan to the heat.

Carefully add the breaded chops to the oil and fry the chops about 4 minutes per side until they are browned and the internal temperature reaches 145°F. Use a pair of tongs to turn the chops. Do not use a fork. If the chops are pierced too many times, they will become dry.

Remove the chops to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

Serves 4

Braised Lamb Chops

Harry gloomily eats his lamb chops and potatoes. He's just been yelled at by the captain of the Quidditch team for getting detention from Professor Umbridge — like it was his fault — and he knows she'll never let him off for Quidditch tryouts. Not to mention the huge pile of homework waiting for him when he finishes his detention with her. Well, he'd be a whole lot gloomier if he knew what horrors Umbridge has in store for him (see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 13).

“Lamb” refers to a baby sheep up to a year old. Once it's celebrated a birthday, it becomes tough and gamy and is called mutton. Because lamb is very fatty, it's usually cooked with an acid such as wine (which contains tannic acid) to cut the fattiness.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 shoulder lamb chops

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup white wine for adults or 1 cup canned chicken broth for children

1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves

½ teaspoon ground sage

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet.

Rinse the lamb chops and pat them dry. Sprinkle them on both sides with the salt and pepper. Sear the lamb chops on both sides over high heat, about 3 minutes per side, and transfer them to a large plate.

Wipe the fat gently off the skillet so as to leave the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet. Add the onion and sauté until it is browned. Sprinkle the flour over the onion, then stir until well blended. Pour in the wine or broth while stirring.