Stuffed Pork Chops

Chef's notes:

Stuffed pork chops are a nice way to bring a lot of flavor to the center part of a pork chop. Another good way is to brine it. I suppose one could brine a pork chop before stuffing it, but only for a few hours. If brining is something that interests you, read Brined Pork Chops. And then come back to this article to learn how to stuff and bake them. Of course, when I say “bake” I mean “roast,” but hardly anyone says “hey, I’m going to roast a stuffed pork chop.” So I use the word bake in this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 2 thick-cut pork chops
  • Onion slices
  • Dijon mustard
  • Black pepper
  • Sea salt

Thick-Cut Bone-In Pork Chops Baked with a Pork Sausage, Garlic, Butter, and Bread Stuffing

  1. Pick up some pork chops. These are thick-cut, bone-in pork loin chops measuring two inches thick. They are probably the most popular pork chops to stuff. I like to use the bone-in pork chops because they retain much more juice and flavor when cooked. As you can see, these pork chops are nice and fatty. You can trim a little of that off if you want, but don’t get too carried away.
  2. Cut a pocket into the pork chops. Use a thin knife and cut a small slit in one end of the pork chop. Then widen the pocket inside with out making the slit that you initially cut any wider. be careful not too poke all the way out the other sides. This is a tricky maneuver that when performed correctly will allow you to cram a lot of stuffing into a small space.
  3. Mix the stuffing and fill the pork chops with it. Follow the recipe for the stuffing below and let it cool for a few minutes. Then if you have a pastry bag, put the stuffing into it and inject it into the pork chop’s pocket. If you don’t have a pastry bag you can make one with a Ziploc bag or you can just use two spoons and spoon the stuffing inside.
  4. Put the stuffed pork chops into a baking dish. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and place the stuffed pork chops into a baking dish with a few onion slices on the bottom. Smear the top and sides of the pork chops with Dijon mustard and season them with salt and pepper. This will make a sort of mustard crust when baked. Plus Dijon tastes really good with pork chops.
  5. Bake the pork chops at 400 degrees F. Once the oven is up to heat, put the pork chops in the oven on the middle rack. Set the timer for 30 minutes. But really, time will not be the measure of when these stuffed pork chops are done. That will actually be temperature. But you should be safe letting them bake for 30 minutes before you need to start checking internal temperatures.
  6. Check the internal temperature of the baked stuffed pork chops. After 30 minutes, check the internal temperature of the stuffed pork chops. Check the meat right next to the stuffing, sorta in the middle of the pork chops. Pork is safe to eat at 150 degrees F, so that is what I recommend cooking your pork chop to. The pork chops will still be a little pink inside, so go to 160 if you don’t like that. But not beyond.

Tips & Tricks

  • Buy pork chops that are nice and thick—two inches plus.
  • Buy pork chops with the bone in for extra juicy and flavorful stuffed pork chops.
  • Brine pork chops for no more than three hours before you bake them.
  • Season the pork chops simply with salt and pepper before stuffing them. Most of the flavor should be in the stuffing.
  • Any leftover stuffing can be frozen and reused for other stuffed meat projects.
  • Use a thin knife, like a boning or fillet knife, to make the pocket in the pork chop.
  • Instead of a pocket with a narrow opening you can butterfly the pork chop, splay it open and stuff it really full of stuffing. That would also look very nice. You will want to use a glutenous stuffing, something with bread in it.
  • Let the baked stuffed pork chops rest for about 10 minutes before you eat them.

Bacon, sausage, and bread crumb stuffing recipe

  • 2 strips bacon, chopped
  • ¼ pound pork sausage
  • ½ cup minced onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1½‒2 cups bread crumbs
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 4 Tbsp heavy cream

Fry the bacon, sausage, onion, and garlic in the butter. Once browned, add the stock and remove from heat. Stir in the bread crumbs until thick and pasty, then add the cream. It should be thick and sticky. Cool a little before stuffing the pork chops.