Stuffed thick cut pork chops

Pork is still not a natural choice of meat for me.  We never ate it much in Australia, as our preference was always lamb, so I wanted to experiment and see whether stuffing the pork chop like this would be something that interests us.   It was very very tasty but I have to say, it didn't totally convert me. It was a massive piece of meat to get through so unless you have BIG eaters, we found one too much for one person.  I think I would like to try this idea with a tenderloin so I could slice it, as the flavors were delicious and the meat was cooked perfectly and still tender and juicy.  It was a really yummy way to eat pork.

We didn't need much on the side, a simple salad was great or if you prefer, a baked potato would go nicely too. I made one mistake.... I stuffed the chops with the filling before grilling the outside.  I think I would grill and char the outside (and that nice fatty bit on the top) briefly first and then slice, stuff it and bake it.  Just to ensure every inch of it was golden brown.  

This was really simple and quick to do and you could use whatever filling ingredients you liked really.  You could add sautéd mushrooms and sage or olives, feta, anchovy and spinach... whatever combination you like, experiment and see what you fancy. 

Serves 2 

Ingredients:

1 cup drained and chopped cooked spinach (fresh or frozen)

2 cloves of roasted garlic

2 tblspn semi sundried tomatoes

75g feta

sea salt and cracked pepper

Method:

• Heat a grill plate or BBQ and set your oven to 400'F
• Make up your mixture, remember to drain the spinach, then add the crumbled feta, diced semidried tomatoes and roasted smashed garlic.

• Season the outside of the pork chop generously with sea salt, pepper and olive oil
• Grill the outside of the chop on both sides leaving char marks and frying the fat off the chop, approx 3 -4 minutes per side and top
• Allow to cool for a minute or two then slice down the center creating a pocket that goes almost to the other side.

Do this AFTER grilling the outside for best results

• Stuff with your filling and use a toothpick or two to secure the cavity
• Place chops upright on a baking tray and cook in a preheated oven for approx 20mins until cooked through
• Allow to rest for 3-4 mins before serving, and remove toothpicks