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Stuffed Pork Chop topped with bleu cheese, garnished with fresh orange on a white plate
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Stuffed Pork Chops

Stuffed pork chops, moist, tender and stuffed with cherries, dates, oranges & bleu cheese: you won't know which part of these you love the most!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Stuffed Pork Chops
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4 People
Calories 1797kcal
Author Kathleen

Ingredients

Brine:

  • 3/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar Firmly Packed
  • 1/4 Cup Table Salt
  • 6 Cups Water
  • 4 Center Cut Rib Chops, Bone In, 1 1/2 Inch Thick

Stuffing:

  • 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
  • 1 Large Red Onion, Halved and Sliced 1/8 Inch Thick
  • 1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
  • 3/4 Cup Port
  • 1/3 Cup Pitted Dates, Chopped
  • 1/3 Cup Dried Sour Cherries
  • 1 Orange, Cut Into 4 Wedges
  • 3 Tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
  • 2 Teaspoons Fresh Thyme Minced
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Table Salt
  • 1/3 Cup Pecans Toasted, Chopped

To Cook and Topping:

  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 2 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
  • 3/4 Cup Blue Cheese Crumbled

Instructions

Make Brine and Prepare Chop:

  • In a large bowl or container that can accommodate all the water and pork chops, dissolve brown sugar and salt in water.
  • Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket, on the fatty side of the pork chop,  almost to the other side but not through. Submerge pork chops in brine, cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Make Sauce:

  • Meanwhile, in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Add onions and granulated sugar and cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and browned about 20-25 minutes.
  • As the onions cook, mix the port, dates, and cherries in a microwave safe bowl. Cover top with plastic wrap and microwave on high until the mixture is simmering, about 1 minute. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, squeeze the oranges to yield 1/4 cup of juice. Reserve juiced wedges (this recipe will use them again in a later step).
  • When the onions are browned, add in the simmered fruit mixture, the orange juice, 2 tablespoons of the vinegar, and thyme. Continue to cook the mixture until it becomes thick and jamlike, about 10-12 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vinegar and pecans and season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow mixture to sit until it's just warm, about 10-15 minutes.

Stuff and Cook the Chop: 

  • Adjust oven rack to the lower-middle position and place a rimmed baking sheet on rack. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
  • Remove chop from brine and rinse with water. Dry chop well with paper towels. Place 1/4 of the filling in the pocket of each chop. Trim orange wedge, as needed, to fit into the outside opening of porkchop to contain the filling. Season chops with salt and pepper.
  •  In a 12 inch, heavy bottom skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil until just beginning to smoke. Carefully place chops in hot skillet and brown well, about 3 minutes. Flip chops and brown well on the second side, about 2-3 minutes. (don't move chops until its time to flip them or they won't develop a nice brown crust).
  • Using tongs, move browned chops to preheated baking sheet in the oven. Cook chops, flipping halfway through until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the stuffing reads 135 degrees, about 15 minutes. Transfer chops to a plate and loosely cover with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with blue cheese and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 1797kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 72g | Fat: 131g | Saturated Fat: 59g | Cholesterol: 318mg | Sodium: 7821mg | Potassium: 1266mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 58g | Vitamin A: 545IU | Vitamin C: 21.5mg | Calcium: 261mg | Iron: 8mg