Apple Pecan Stuffed Pork Chops

Apple Pecan Stuffed Pork Chops – thick pork chops stuffed with an apple and pecan mixture and roasted to perfection.

With the arrival of the fall season, it seems that everyone’s mind automatically switches over from salads and iced drinks to more warm, homey foods.

Some of my personal favorites are all the comforting soups and stews that go hand in hand with fall weather. But I could never forget one of our local fall produce stars – apples!

The area of north Georgia where we live is a huge producer of apples supplying an average of 2 million pounds per year.

There are dozens of orchards within a short drive from us and they produce some of the best, tastiest apples you’ve ever seen! I love using our local apples to make a big batch of Spiced Applesauce in the Slow Cooker that we freeze and enjoy throughout the year.

When we think of apples, we almost always think “sweet” don’t we? Pies, crisps, crumbles, tarts, cakes, baked apples, applesauce.

They’re all certainly delicious, but sometimes I wanted to do something different and along a savory route like these Apple Pecan Stuffed Pork Chops. 

These stuffed chops are easy to prepare and make a pretty presentation for a company dinner. They’re also perfect for a weekend family meal.

The apple and pecan combination is an interesting complement to the savory pork. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try.

How to Make Apple Pecan Stuffed Pork Chops:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For a stuffing pork chop, you want a thickness of at least 1 1/2 inches. A thinner chop is difficult to work with in creating the pockets for the stuffing. Also, you’ll need a very sharp, long, thin knife to make the task easier. Of course, you could just ask your butcher to do it for you if you don’t want to do it yourself.

Also, if I was serving this for guests, I’d remove the flesh from the bone at the lower end of the chop creating a Frenched effect. These were for family, so I didn’t bother with that. Be sure to trim the pork chops of any excess fat. Then create the pockets by cutting through the flesh of each pork chop nearly to the bone.

Liberally season the chops both inside and out with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the fresh bread crumbs (made mine from some leftover ciabatta), chopped onion, minced garlic, chopped apple, pecans, parsley, mustard, 2 tablespoons oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well. (Note: I always choose a Golden Delicious apple for stuffings, etc., because they keep their shape during cooking better than most. You could, however, use any crisp, juicy apple that you particularly like.)

Stuff the pocket of each chop with a generous amount of the bread-apple-pecan mixture. You should have plenty of the mixture to fill four large chops.

Secure the opening with toothpicks. I used two – one at the top and one at the bottom.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of canola oil and the butter. Add the chops, two at a time, and cook until nicely browned on both sides.

Add all four browned chops back to the pan and add the chicken broth or stock. I was using my big 12″ cast iron skillet and had to fit those chops in there like they were pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, but it worked out!

Cover the skillet with a lid or with aluminum foil. Transfer to the oven and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, basting occasionally with the pan juices. Check often making sure not to overcook.

Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the chops to a plate. Tent with foil to keep warm.

Strain the cooking juices to remove any solid bits and return the strained juices to the pan. Cook over high heat at a rapid boil until reduced to your desired consistency to create a sauce to serve with the chops. The sauce may be finished with a teaspoon or two of butter if desired.

More Recipes You’ll Like

• Marinated Pork Loin
• Savory Pork Chops
• Classic Southern Pecan Pie
• Apple Pecan Coffee Cake
• One-Dish Pork Chops and Rice
• Pork Loin with Creamy Celery Sauce

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Apple Pecan Stuffed Pork Chops

Thick pork chops stuffed with an apple-pecan mixture and roasted to perfection.

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Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 680kcal

Author: Lana Stuart

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 rib pork chops on the bone 1 1/2” thick
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped onion
• ▢ 1 minced garlic clove
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped Golden Delicious apple
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• ▢ 1/4 cup minced flat leaf parsley
• ▢ 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• ▢ 4 tblsp. canola oil divided use
• ▢ 1/2 tsp. salt
• ▢ dash of black pepper
• ▢ 1 tblsp. butter
• ▢ 1 cup chicken broth or stock

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Trim the pork chops of any excess fat. Create a pocket in each chop by cutting through the flesh nearly to the bone. Season the chops inside and out with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine the fresh bread crumbs, chopped onion, minced garlic, chopped apple, pecans, parsley, mustard, 2 tablespoons oil, salt and pepper. Mix well.
• Stuff the pocket of each chop with a generous amount of the bread-apple-pecan mixture. Secure the opening with toothpicks.
• Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the remaining canola oil and butter. Add the chops, two at a time, and cook until nicely browned on both sides. Add all four browned chops back to the pan and add the chicken broth or stock.
• Cover the skillet with a lid or with aluminum foil. Transfer to the oven and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, basting occasionally with pan juices. Check often making sure not to overcook.
• Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the chops to a plate. Tent with foil to keep warm.
• Strain the cooking juices to remove any solid bits and return the strained juices to the pan. Cook over high heat at a rapid boil until juices are reduced to your desired consistency to create a sauce to serve with the chops. The sauce may be finished with a teaspoon or two of butter if desired.

Notes

Recipe adapted from About.com

Nutrition Information

Serving 1Calories 680kcalCarbohydrates 20gProtein 46gFat 46gSaturated Fat 10gPolyunsaturated Fat 32gCholesterol 143mgSodium 900mgFiber 3gSugar 5g

Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.

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