Published by: Gourmet Sleuth Last Updated: 10/28/2016
Pork is one of the more economical cuts of meat and chops are reasonably low in fat. Because the animals are bred to be so lean, the meat will benefit in moisture and flavor when stuffed.
Most pork chops today are very lean. Stuffing pork chops adds moisture and flavor to the meat and makes for a nice dinner presentation. As for what to use for stuffing; the variations are virtually limitless. You can make a simple herb and bread stuffing, or fresh chopped mushrooms, even rice or other grains. Although we always prefer homemade foods, if you are short on time you can even use a pre-made or frozen stuffing product.
The stuffed chop shown is a rib-eye chop which was about 1 to 1/2" thick.
The best choice for stuffing is the rib-eye cut at least 1/2 to 3/4" thick. We have noticed a huge version of this chop in local grocery store, over 3" thick. The store insists its for individual portions but it looks more like a roast than a single serving chop.
boneless sirloin chop
rib-eye pork chop
porterhouse pork chop
new york pork chop
Preparation is easy. Simply rinse the chop and pat dry. Using a sharp knife, slice the chop horizontally all the way to the bone. This will make a pocket for the stuffing.
Using your filling of choice, fill the pocket with stuffing. The pork chop should bulge slightly but don't overfill it otherwise the stuffing will just fall out into the pan.
This image shows 2 pork chops, prepared and stuffed with a bread-herb stuffing.
Cooking methods may vary per recipe but a standard preparation is to pan sear the chops in a hot pan with a small amount of olive oil. Once the chops are nicely browned on each side, place the pan in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes to finish. The pork should register 155F using an instant read meat thermometer.