How to Make Stuffed Pork Chops

Stuffed pork chops are one of those foods that are easy enough to make for the family on a busy day and impressive enough that you can present to company. And stuffed pork chops are one of the most versatile main dish foods that we know. Both sweet and savory fillings go well with pork chops so you can stuff them with an endless array of choices. They work in both the summer and winter. And since you can grill them as well as fry or bake them, they are great to make on the patio in the summertime.

How do you make great pork chops? First, don't overcook them. If you overcook them, they will be dry and tough and no recipe will rescue them. Buy a good cut of meat. And season them well. Pork is mild and it is the seasoning that brings out the flavoring. Pork is adaptive to a wide range of flavors so feel free to experiment.

How do I tell when my pork chops are done?

It is critical that pork is cooked just right. If it is cooked too long, it will be ruined. For food safety, it needs to be cooked enough. So that you don't over-cook or under-cook your pork, use an insta-read thermometer. The internal temperature should reach at least 160 degrees.

But you'll never see a chef using a thermometer. He or she will use a finger and poke the meat. Meat becomes firmer as it cooks so a well-done steak with be very firm. With a little practice, you can become very good at telling when the meat is done.

When I was a very young man, an old cook in Alaska taught me to test meat with my finger since it was my responsibility to man the late-night grill. I got pretty good at judging burgers and steaks—a small skill to master. Still to this day my kids yell out, "Dad, come and tell me if my steak is done" and I go poke it with my finger.

But I digress. Let's start with the following recipe to illustrate how to make stuffed pork chops.

Pork Chops Stuffed with Corn Dressing

This is a classic stuffed pork chops recipe. Again, it is made easy with a packaged dressing mix found at the grocery store. The natural sweetness and moisture of the corn goes well with pork chops.

Ingredients

3/4 cup seasoned stuffing mix

1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup kernel corn, drained

4 (3/4 inch thick) pork chops

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Prepare the stuffing mix according to package directions. Set aside.
2. In the butter, sauté the chopped celery and onion until just tender. Add these vegetables to the dressing. Add the corn to the vegetables.
3. With a fillet or other thin-bladed knife, cut the pockets in the pork chops. Place the pork chops on a cutting board. Holding the knife parallel to the board, cut a pocket into the pork, starting from the fatty side and going nearly all the way through but leaving the sides intact and the opening small.
4. In a small bowl, mix the thyme, sage, salt, and pepper together. Rub the mixture into the pork chops on both sides.
5. Stuff about 1/3 cup of the dressing into the pork chops, reserving any that does not fit into the pockets. Push the dressing far into the pocket of each pork chop with the dressing pushed away from the opening. Push two toothpicks diagonally through the outer edges of the pork chop to secure the opening.
6. You can now cook the pork chops on the grill, in a skillet, in the oven. To cook the pork chops in a skillet, cook them in butter for about six to eight minutes on each side or until done. To cook them on the grill, brush the pork chops with oil and then cook them for four to eight minutes on each side over medium heat. To bake them in the oven, place the pork chops on a lightly oiled baking sheet (or on a rack on a baking sheet if you would like to keep the pork chops out of the pan juices). Cover the pan with aluminum foil and tightly press the foil around the edges to trap steam and keep the chops from drying out. Bake for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC '-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN' 'http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd'><html><head><title>Articles Back Link | How to Make Stuffed Pork Chops</title></head><body><h3>How to Make Stuffed Pork Chops</h3><br><br> By: Dennis Weaver<br><br><p><p>Stuffed pork chops are one of those foods that are easy enough to make for the family on a busy day and impressive enough that you can present to company. And stuffed pork chops are one of the most versatile main dish foods that we know. Both sweet and savory fillings go well with pork chops so you can stuff them with an endless array of choices. They work in both the summer and winter. And since you can grill them as well as fry or bake them, they are great to make on the patio in the summertime.</P><p>How do you make great pork chops? First, don't overcook them. If you overcook them, they will be dry and tough and no recipe will rescue them. Buy a good cut of meat. And season them well. Pork is mild and it is the seasoning that brings out the flavoring. Pork is adaptive to a wide range of flavors so feel free to experiment.</P><p>How do I tell when my pork chops are done?</P><p>It is critical that pork is cooked just right. If it is cooked too long, it will be ruined. For food safety, it needs to be cooked enough. So that you don't over-cook or under-cook your pork, use an insta-read thermometer. The internal temperature should reach at least 160 degrees.</P><p>But you'll never see a chef using a thermometer. He or she will use a finger and poke the meat. Meat becomes firmer as it cooks so a well-done steak with be very firm. With a little practice, you can become very good at telling when the meat is done.</P><p>When I was a very young man, an old cook in Alaska taught me to test meat with my finger since it was my responsibility to man the late-night grill. I got pretty good at judging burgers and steaks—a small skill to master. Still to this day my kids yell out, "Dad, come and tell me if my steak is done" and I go poke it with my finger.</P><p>But I digress. Let's start with the following recipe to illustrate how to make stuffed pork chops.</P><p>Pork Chops Stuffed with Corn Dressing</P><p>This is a classic stuffed pork chops recipe. Again, it is made easy with a packaged dressing mix found at the grocery store. The natural sweetness and moisture of the corn goes well with pork chops.</P><p>Ingredients</P><p>3/4 cup seasoned stuffing mix</P><p>1 tablespoon butter<br>1/3 cup chopped celery<br>1/3 cup chopped onion<br>2/3 cup kernel corn, drained</P><p>4 (3/4 inch thick) pork chops</P><p>1/2 teaspoon dried thyme<br>1/2 teaspoon sage<br>1/4 teaspoon salt<br>1/8 teaspoon pepper</P><p>Directions</P><p>1. Prepare the stuffing mix according to package directions. Set aside.<br>2. In the butter, sauté the chopped celery and onion until just tender. Add these vegetables to the dressing. Add the corn to the vegetables.<br>3. With a fillet or other thin-bladed knife, cut the pockets in the pork chops. Place the pork chops on a cutting board. Holding the knife parallel to the board, cut a pocket into the pork, starting from the fatty side and going nearly all the way through but leaving the sides intact and the opening small.<br>4. In a small bowl, mix the thyme, sage, salt, and pepper together. Rub the mixture into the pork chops on both sides.<br>5. Stuff about 1/3 cup of the dressing into the pork chops, reserving any that does not fit into the pockets. Push the dressing far into the pocket of each pork chop with the dressing pushed away from the opening. Push two toothpicks diagonally through the outer edges of the pork chop to secure the opening.<br>6. You can now cook the pork chops on the grill, in a skillet, in the oven. To cook the pork chops in a skillet, cook them in butter for about six to eight minutes on each side or until done. To cook them on the grill, brush the pork chops with oil and then cook them for four to eight minutes on each side over medium heat. To bake them in the oven, place the pork chops on a lightly oiled baking sheet (or on a rack on a baking sheet if you would like to keep the pork chops out of the pan juices). Cover the pan with aluminum foil and tightly press the foil around the edges to trap steam and keep the chops from drying out. Bake for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees.<br></P></p> <br><br> <b>Author Resource:-></b>  <br><br><b>Article From</b> <a href='http://www.articlesbacklink.com/'>Articles Back Link</a><br></body></html>