Stuffed Pork Chops

This is like Thanksgiving dinner simplified. The boneless pork chops which replaced the bird were brined but merely for an hour.

The stuffing is crumbled home made corn bread mixed with dried cranberries moistened with chicken stock then mixed with crispy turkey bacon bits sautéed with onion, garlic, celery, fresh parsley and rosemary.

I seared them all in my grill pan before baking in the oven with chicken stock in the bottom of the pan and fully covered with aluminum foil to keep the meat moist.

It seems like a lot of work but I enjoyed making it- more so eating it. Served with gravy and haricot verts and sweet corn kernels sautéed in a little butter and seasoned with a little salt and pepper, it's another pork dish worth the time and effort because it is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

Stuffed Pork Chops
Adapted from Down Home with The Neelys

Ingredients
1/2 cup kosher salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 quarts water
4-6 (2-inch thick) pork chops, boneless loin chops, split with a sharp knife
2 slices turkey bacon, chopped
2 stalks celery, minced
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
2 1/2 cups crumbled cornbread
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chicken broth
freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Whisk salt and sugars in 2-quarts of cold water.
Add pork chops and cover. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove the pork chops from the brine and rinse with cold water.
Pat dry with paper towels
In a large heavy bottomed saute pan, begin to fry bacon. Add celery, onion and garlic to pan and allow to saute with the crispy bacon. Add rosemary and parsley after bacon has cooked for 8 to 10 minutes. Saute until fragrant. Season with pepper.
In a large bowl add cornbread, dried cranberries and chicken stock. Stir in the cooked vegetable mixture. Mix well.
Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Season the pork chops with pepper. Stuff the chop with about 1/2 cup of stuffing. Use toothpicks to help seal the chops. Sear the chops on both sides just to get the grill marks, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Remove from grill pan and arrange in a rack placed over a roasting pan. Pour about 2 cups of chicken stock or broth in the pan.
Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. Rest the chops for 5 minutes before serving.