Stuffed Double Cut Pork Chops
THIS is a serious pork chop! There's no fooling around with this one. This double cut pork chop has been brined and then stuffed with sausage. I do believe that this treatment renders about as moist and flavorful a pork chop as one could create. I really don't know that I know how to make a better chop!
I have no qualms about saying a recipe is bad, didn't work, isn't what I wanted, etc. However, on the flipside and from this same ethos, I judge recipes that DO work. I do not hesitate to say that this pork dish and recipe is nothing short of outstandingly magnificent!
First, there's the procurement of the pork, itself. It's not likely you're going to walk into the local grocery store and see a double cut pork chop. However, most grocery stores do have butchers who will cut specific things for you, if they have the product in the cooler. It may not hurt to call ahead, but my gut tells me that finding a full bone-in pork tenderloin isn't that difficult. Then, explain that you want it cut "Double Cut and Frenched". This means that they will cut the chop every TWO ribs, rather than just one (like most pork chops). "Frenched" means that they clean the fat and sinew from around the bone, making a nice attractive appearance.
Next, we're going to create a brine. I have another recipe where I brine chicken (I love brining pork, chicken and turkey! It's so easy to do and makes SUCH a big difference!). Read my other brining recipe for details (Maple Brined Pork, too!), but I do want to make a quick point. Yes, there are some veggies and aromatics in this brine, but they are purely optional. The ONLY required part is the salt and the water. If you brined this pork in a salt water solution for a few hours, you'll be THRILLED you did! (I only mention this because I've heard comments that the extra "stuff" looks complicated ... it's totally optional, but does lend one extra level of complexity in flavor).
Finally, this pork chop has been split between the bones and packed with raw Italian sausage (sweet or spicy). Pork chops don't have a lot of fat, which tends to make them a fairly dry piece of meat. Sausage, on the other hand, is FULL of fat. If you stuff a dry piece of meat with fat, some of that fat is going to melt into the chop and add moisture, as well as additional flavors from the spices in the sausage!
These various steps will give you an almost life changing beast of a pork chop. It may seem like a lot of effort for a pork chop, but ... when you try it, you'll understand why the time and effort was worth it. This pork chop will change the way you see pork chops. It's THAT good!
I have no qualms about saying a recipe is bad, didn't work, isn't what I wanted, etc. However, on the flipside and from this same ethos, I judge recipes that DO work. I do not hesitate to say that this pork dish and recipe is nothing short of outstandingly magnificent!
First, there's the procurement of the pork, itself. It's not likely you're going to walk into the local grocery store and see a double cut pork chop. However, most grocery stores do have butchers who will cut specific things for you, if they have the product in the cooler. It may not hurt to call ahead, but my gut tells me that finding a full bone-in pork tenderloin isn't that difficult. Then, explain that you want it cut "Double Cut and Frenched". This means that they will cut the chop every TWO ribs, rather than just one (like most pork chops). "Frenched" means that they clean the fat and sinew from around the bone, making a nice attractive appearance.
Next, we're going to create a brine. I have another recipe where I brine chicken (I love brining pork, chicken and turkey! It's so easy to do and makes SUCH a big difference!). Read my other brining recipe for details (Maple Brined Pork, too!), but I do want to make a quick point. Yes, there are some veggies and aromatics in this brine, but they are purely optional. The ONLY required part is the salt and the water. If you brined this pork in a salt water solution for a few hours, you'll be THRILLED you did! (I only mention this because I've heard comments that the extra "stuff" looks complicated ... it's totally optional, but does lend one extra level of complexity in flavor).
Finally, this pork chop has been split between the bones and packed with raw Italian sausage (sweet or spicy). Pork chops don't have a lot of fat, which tends to make them a fairly dry piece of meat. Sausage, on the other hand, is FULL of fat. If you stuff a dry piece of meat with fat, some of that fat is going to melt into the chop and add moisture, as well as additional flavors from the spices in the sausage!
These various steps will give you an almost life changing beast of a pork chop. It may seem like a lot of effort for a pork chop, but ... when you try it, you'll understand why the time and effort was worth it. This pork chop will change the way you see pork chops. It's THAT good!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time6 hrs
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 821.515kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup kosher salt (or 2 tbsp table salt)
- 4 each garlic cloves crushed
- 1/2 each small onion chopped
- 1 each bay leaves
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1/2 tbsp fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups ice water
- 4 each double cut pork chops frenched)
- 1/2 lb raw italian sausage (sweet or spicy)
- 2 tbsp light oil (coconut oil olive, ghee or bacon fat!)
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot (large enough for a gallon of liquid), bring your 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil.
- Add the salt and whisk the water, until the salt dissolves.
- Remove the water from the heat and add the remaining ingredients, except the ice water and pork.
- Allow it to sit for about 15 minutes, to cool.
- Add the ice water and stir. Make sure the brine is cold.
- Add the pork. Make sure the pork is completely submerged. If it's not, you can weigh the pork down, or add a little more ice water.
- Brine the pork for between 2 and 10 hours. Any brining is good, even an hour. Longer is better, up to 12 hours. After 12 hours, the pork starts to deteriorate.
- When the pork has been brined, remove it from the brine and wash thoroughly under cold water.
- Discard the brine. It cannot be re-used.
- Pre-heat your oven to 400 F.
- With a sharp knife, make an incision between the bones, cutting deeply into the center of the pork chop, but not cutting through the other side. You can use a small sharp knife to cut in either direction, within the pork, to create a large slot or cavity, within the pork chop. Just be careful not to break through any portion of the other side. You want a nice, deep and wide "pocket" ... without holes. You can stick your finger in the incision and push around to tear a slightly larger pocket, as well.
- Divide your raw sausage into 4 even lumps. With your fingers, stuff the pork chops as full as you can. Really force it in there, while being careful not to break or split the chops. The pork chop will begin to bulge a bit. That's ok. Force it in there.
- At this point, it's best to let the pork sit at room temperature for about an hour or two, prior to cooking. Allow this time, if possible. This will make the pork cook more evenly and hold more moisture.
- Dry the pork well and then lightly season with a little salt and pepper.
- Pre-heat a large skillet or oven proof sauté pan, over high heat. Add your oil to the pan and swirl it around to coat the pan. Quickly place your pork into the pan, making sure there is enough space between them. Lower your temperature to medium-high and allow the pork to sit on each side of each for about 1 to 2 minutes, creating a nice golden sear on the outside.
- Once every side has been nicely colored, place the entire pan in the oven. Allow to roast in the oven for about 15 minutes, but check it after 12.
- Once the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145° F, remove from the oven. Poking it will result in a very firm pork chop. Cover the pork with foil and allow it to rest for 10 minutes, before serving.
- Serve!
Nutrition
Serving: 4g | Calories: 821.515kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.96g | Protein: 45.365g | Fat: 68.6g | Fiber: 0.36g