Stuffed Pork Chops

I've become quite a fan of stuffing pork chops because I find it helps keep them tender thanks to the slight moisture from the stuffing.  I first started stuffing pork chops when I had leftover stuffing from thanksgiving, but you don't have to stuff them with just bread.  Some people like apples with their porkchops, or you could do all veggies, or maybe even rice if you wanted something else starchy.  But here's what I did this time around.

Stuffing: toasted bread cubes, leeks, mushrooms, garlic, chicken broth, oil/butter
Sauce (optional): white wine, butter, flour

Preheat your oven to 375.

I didn't have any leftover stuffing this time, so I made my own.  I took two slices of sourdough and two slices of wheat bread, chopped them into cubes, put them on a cookie sheet, drizzled with a tiny bit of olive oil, and baked for about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saute pan, I added the chopped leeks, mushrooms, and garlic to a little oil or butter.  Once softened, add the toasted bread and cook for about a minute or two.  Then add the chicken broth.  I eyeball it.  Starting with a small amount, maybe 1/4 of a cup for this quantity of bread.  You want the bread to absorb the liquid, but you don't want extra sauce sitting in the pan, and you don't want your bread to be too soggy.  It should look like this:

 

To prep the pork chops, you'll want to butterfly them.  Basically use a paring knife to cut directly in the center of the chop and make a little pocket for the stuffing.  Once butterflied, stuff the chops, and you may want to use a skewer or toothpick to help keep the stuffing in place while they cook.  If you have a skillet that can be used on the stove and in the oven, cook your chops in that, otherwise you'll have to transfer them to an oven proof roasting pan.  In said skillet with a little butter or olive oil, sear the outside of the chops.  

After about 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of your chops) turn them over and sear the other side.  After another 5 minutes transfer to the oven to cook through.  This will probably take about ten to fifteen minutes or so.  You don't want to overcook and dry out the chops, but you don't want the inside to be pink.  Though, trichinosis is actually destroyed at 145 degrees F, which corresponds to a medium rare pork chop.  Most people are afraid to eat a pink chop, but just know if your temp is hot enough, you don't have to worry about disease.  

When done, plate the chops and add a little more stuffing on top if you'd like (I served with mashed potatoes, big surprise there), and I made a quick sauce to pour over.  Deglaze your skillet with some white wine to soak up all those great pan drippings.  As the sauce cooks and thickens, you can add a tiny bit of flour if you want it to be thick and creamy, otherwise you can add a little bit of butter to have a similar, but less thickening effect.  Spoon over the chops, and enjoy!