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 minutesminutes
Cook Time 55 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour15 minutesminutes
Servings 4People
Calories 1797kcal
Author Kathleen
Ingredients
Brine:
3/4CupLight Brown SugarFirmly Packed
1/4CupTable Salt
6CupsWater
4Center Cut Rib Chops,Bone In, 1 1/2 Inch Thick
Stuffing:
1TablespoonVegetable Oil
1LargeRed Onion,Halved and Sliced 1/8 Inch Thick
1TablespoonGranulated Sugar
3/4CupPort
1/3CupPitted Dates,Chopped
1/3CupDried Sour Cherries
1Orange,Cut Into 4 Wedges
3TablespoonWhite Wine Vinegar
2TeaspoonsFresh ThymeMinced
1/4TeaspoonTable Salt
1/3CupPecansToasted, Chopped
To Cook and Topping:
Salt
Pepper
2Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
3/4CupBlue CheeseCrumbled
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.