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stuffed pork chops with apple-mushroom stuffing
I came up with this recipe by combining the best elements of several different recipes. The cooking method is straight out of Cook’s Illustrated, but I didn’t care for the stuffing. I’m just not a big fan of dried fruits in my stuffing, i.e. cherries and dates and orange, although the use of the port and pecans was intriguing. I may experiment with something like that. The stuffing itself is an adaptation of a Rachel Ray recipe, although she didn’t include mushrooms and used crumbled corn muffins instead of the bread crumbs. Combined together with a few of my own modifications and this is a dish I’ll make again.
The usual problem with stuffed pork chops is that the stuffing can be dry or the pork can be dry or that the stuffing can fall out during cooking. Of course, the cure for dry pork is brining, which you should do for just about every cut of pork you buy in the supermarket. Dry stuffing, well that requires some imagination and the juice of the apples helps a lot.
The apples and mushrooms and sage in this recipe have a very cold weather, Thanksgiving-ish smell and the taste is great. Despite the list of ingredients, it’s not a difficult or long dish to prepare.
The thicker the chops, the easier it will be to stuff them. By keeping the stuffing hole smaller, you will prevent the stuffing from expanding all over the pan in the oven, although you need to balance the small size with your tolerance for tediously spooning the stuffing into the tiny hole. Patience will be rewarded.
Ingredients:
4 thick-cut pork chops (bone-in or boneless), at least 1-2/ inches thick (If buying bone-in, buy the rib chop which has one large expanse of meat)
6 Tbsp salt
6 Tbsp sugar
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 small apple, McInstosh or Gala, cored, peeled, and chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
4 oz. crimini (baby bella) or white button mushrooms, chopped
2 Tbsp freshly chopped sage leaves, or 1 tsp ground dried sage
2 Tbsp freshly chopped thyme leaves, or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 thick-cut slice of day-old bread, slightly dried and crumbed to make 1/2 cup of crumbs
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Using a paring or boning knife, insert the blade into the side of each chop, parallel to the cutting board, making a small incision, no more than 1/2 inch. Sweep the blade to the left, turn and sweep to the right, creating a pocket for the stuffing. Use a finger to ensure that the pocket is open, but be sure not to cut through to the other side.
2. Dissolve the sugar and salt in 3 quarts of water, add the chops and refrigerate for 1 hour. After brining, remove the chops, rinse lightly under cool running water, pat dry with paper towels.
3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, move the oven rack to the lower-middle position, and place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack.
4. Heat a heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil and bacon and cook 2 minutes. Add apple, celery, mushrooms, and onion, along with herbs and 1/2 tsp each of salt and fresh black pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the bread crumbs and stir to combine, then move the stuffing to a bowl to cool.
5. When the stuffing is cool enough to handle, spoon it into the chops. Pack it in tightly without tearing open the chops. You will likely have leftover stuffing. Try not to expand the opening too much and don’t let the stuffing overflow. It will expand during cooking.
6. Put the skillet back over medium-high heat and add another 1 Tbsp oil. When the oil is just beginning to show wisps of smoke, arrange the chops in the skillet, leaving space between each. Let them cook for about 3 minutes without moving them, until they are golden-brown. Flip the chops and cook until golden-brown on the second side, about 2 to 3 minutes longer.
7. Transfer the chops to the pan in the oven. Cook until instant-read thermometer placed into the stuffing says 135 degrees, about 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure to flip the chops about halfway. Move the chops to platter and cover loosely with foil for about 10 minutes to let the internal temperature rise to 145 degrees.
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