STUFFED PORK CHOPS
My mom and I came up with this recipe one winter when she was visiting me in Charlotte, and we were so pleased with how it turned out that we had to write it down. This stuffed pork chop is especially good in the fall; I love the way the apples, raisins, and cinnamon come together once they’ve cooked down a little. I add onion to almost everything, so it makes sense that it made its way into this stuffing. SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 30 minutes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 apple, peeled and diced
½ onion, diced
¼ cup raisins (any kind but yellow would be nice)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 thick-cut boneless pork chops
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir in the apple, onion, and raisins, followed by the cinnamon and nutmeg. Sauté until the onions become slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl to cool.
- Slice a pocket into the side of each pork chop, then stuff with the cooled raisin-apple mixture. If you want, you can close the slit with a toothpick, but that’s optional; some stuffing might fall out as you cook, but you can just top the pork chops with it later. Season the chops with salt and pepper.
- Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the pan, and brown the pork chops for 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the thickest part of the chop registers 155°F with a meat thermometer, and serve.
VARIATION 1 GARLIC SPINACH–STUFFED PORK CHOPS: replace the apple, raisins, cinnamon, and nutmeg with 1 cup well-washed and drained spinach and 2 or 3 minced garlic cloves for a more savory version, and follow the recipe as written.
VARIATION 2 PAN-FRIED STUFFED PORK CHOPS: Skip the oven step and finish the pork chops on the stove. Just cook for an additional 10 minutes per side, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 155°F.
