Published May 1, 2005.
Filling the wrong chop with the wrong kind of stuffing and then cooking it using the wrong method produces familiar but easily improved results.
Stuffed pork chops are rarely well executed - too often, they’re crammed full of bulky bread stuffing that does little to enhance the flavor of lean pork.
We were after a great pork chop: thick and juicy, seared crusty brown on the outside, and enhanced, not overwhelmed, by a flavorful stuffing.
First, we had to buy the right chop. The perfect choice turned out to be the rib chop, which has an unbroken eye of meat into which a wide pocket can be cut with a sharp paring knife. We then developed stuffing mixtures that incorporated enough moisture, fat, and assertive flavors to enhance the lean, mild pork. Our final choices were creamy, even sticky -- using spinach and fontina cheese for one recipe and a red onion jam with port, pecans, and dried fruit for another. We stuffed the chop modestly and sealed the pocket with a citrus wedge. The best cooking results came from searing the brined, stuffed chops in a hot skillet and transferring them to a preheated baking sheet to finish cooking in the oven.
list of recipes
