Stuffed Pork Chop
- Yield: 4 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 4 servings
- Calories
- 878
- Total Fat
- 37
- Saturated Fat
- 8
- Carbohydrates
- 82
- Dietary Fiber
- 2
- Sugar
- 46
- Protein
- 49
- Cholesterol
- 165
- Sodium
- 1365
- Total: 1 hr
- Active: 35 min
Ingredients
1 cup plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon ground mustard
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 pound ice cubes
4 double-thick, bone-in loin pork chops (1- to 1 1/2-inches thick; about 12 ounces each)
1 1/2 cups cornbread crumbs
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup dried cherries
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh sage
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
Vegetable oil
Directions
- Place 1 cup of the salt, the brown sugar, peppercorns, mustard and vinegar in a 6-quart container and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the ice cubes and stir to melt most of the ice. Add the chops and make sure they are submerged in the brine. Cover and refrigerate 25 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F with the oven rack in the center of the oven.
- Remove the chops from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Holding a knife parallel to the cutting board, cut a deep 2-inch-wide pocket into the side of each pork chop.
- Combine the cornbread, walnuts, dried cherries, raisins, pepper, sage, 2 teaspoons salt and the buttermilk in a mixing bowl. Place about 1/4 cup of the stuffing into the pocket of each chop. Brush both sides of each chop with the oil.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet until smoking hot, about 600 degrees F. Add the chops to the pan and cook until well seared, about 5 minutes per side.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and cook about 12 minutes more or until the internal temperature of the chops reaches 140 degrees F for medium. Be sure to temp the chops in the thickest part of the meat close to the bone, not in the stuffing. Let the chops rest 5 minutes before serving.