Pork chops and applesauce, homemade stuffing, and flames from an open fire…comfort food and heart-warming memories of mom’s cooking are the perfect inspiration for this week’s recipe. Combine them all together, and the ordinary pork chop is now stuffed with seasonal, flavorful ingredients and grilled over an open flame to perfection! Need I say more??
This week on the menu, thick cut, bone-in pork loin chops, stuffed with cornbread stuffing, sweet apple and cranberry, savory pancetta, and earthy almonds. Grilled over the flames of your Bull BBQ, these super easy pork chops will surely impress your family and friends!
Chef Note: Try placing the stuffing mix into a piping bag with a large enough tip, or in a large ziplock bag with the corner end cut out to use for stuffing the pork chops. This technique makes it easy to evenly stuff each chop with ease while keeping a fairly clean work space.
- For the Stuffed Pork Chop:
- 4 thick-cut (1 ½ inches) bone-in pork loin chops, pockets cut into each
- 1 ¾ cups cornbread stuffing mix, crumbled once measured
- 1 apple, finely diced
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons cranberries, dried
- 5 ounces diced pancetta, cooked, drained
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 3 leaves sage, fresh, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- For the Browned Butter and Crispy Sage:
- ½ cup butter, salted
- 8 sage leaves, whole, fresh
- Preheat Bull BBQ on Medium - High heat for 15 minutes.
- Using the Bull Square Non-Stick Square Pan, heat up 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium- high heat.
- Add the diced pancetta and cook till lightly brown, around 6 minutes total. Remove the cooked pancetta, reserving the oil in the pan.
- Add the onion and garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the diced apple, dried cranberries, and cooked pancetta and cook for 5 minutes, until soft and tender.
- Remove the mixture onto a plate or pan and allow to cool down.
- Once cool, add the walnuts, thinly sliced sage leaves, buttermilk, and cornbread stuffing mixture. Stir and mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Place the pork chops on a flat cutting board. Using a sharp paring knife, cut a slit horizontally towards the bone without cutting through, forming a pocket into each chop.
- Generously stuff each chop, and season both sides of the pork chop with Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper.
- Using the Bull Dual-Handle Monster Brush, clean the grill grates, and finish by wiping down with an oiled towel.
- Place the chops down on the grill grates and allow them to cook for 6-8 minutes before turning over. (Turn the chops 45 degrees at the halfway mark for grill marks)
- Carefully turn the chops over, and finish grilling for another 6 - 8 minutes, until done. (Use the Bull Instant Read Flip Tip Digital Thermometer for an internal temperature of 155 degrees).
- If using a thicker chop with more stuffing, they may require more time on the grill. Place the chops on the warming rack above the grill grates shown here on the Diablo Grill, close the lid and allow them to bake till done (internal temperature of 155 degrees).
- While the pork chops are resting, place a medium sauce saucepan on medium heat. Add butter. Once it starts to turn slightly brown, add sage leaves, saute for one minute, allowing the leaves to become crispy. Take leaves out and drain on paper towel. Turn off heat and place the pan to the side.
- To plate, place a stuffed pork chop on decorative platter, top off with brown butter and 2 pieces crispy sage. Serve with your seasonal grilled veggie of choice and enjoy!
❤ Chef Amy
P.S. Don’t forget to serve each stuffed pork chop with Bull’s Orchard Wood Handled Steak Knives!
