Tonight’s Dinner: Apple-stuffed Pork Chops

People usually think of stuffing a turkey or a chicken, but making a small cut into a pork chop creates a pocket big enough to add a sweet surprise to an otherwise savory dish.

With bone-in pork chops, the bone took up at least a third of the chop. Now, boneless pork chops are making it easier to create delicious dinners. While you can still grill, bake, or sear the chops—it’s all meat—that means you have a whole new slew of options you didn’t have before.

One such option is stuffing. It may seem crazy to stuff such a small piece of meat, but adding just a spoonful or two of diced apple, pine nuts, and bread crumbs to the chop turns an already rich entrée into something really special.

Apple-stuffed Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 4 boneless pork chops
• 1 Granny Smith or Fuji apple, cored and diced
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 teaspoon rosemary
• 2 tablespoon pine nuts
• 1 slice of bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup of chicken stock
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat; add the apples and sauté until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add oregano, rosemary, pine nuts, salt, and pepper to taste and cook for another minute. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the bread crumbs and chicken stock; mix well and set aside.
3. Using a sharp knife, slice pockets into the chop by slicing horizontally into the side; season both sides of the chop with salt and pepper; stuff each chop with the apple mixture. It’s okay if the stuffing overflows out of the chop.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat; add the stuffed pork chops and sear until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the chop and transfer the pan to the oven. Cook until the chops are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.