Bone-In Dried Cherry and Sourdough Stuffed Pork Chops Recipe + Mustard Sauce

These deliciously easy-to-make stuffed pork chops are loaded with flavor and will absolutely blow your guests away.

Stuffed pork chops are an incredibly versatile dish that consists of an agreed-upon stuffing that is then inserted into a small slit of a bone-in or boneless pork chop. It’s versatile because you can decide on any stuffing you’d like to use.

One of the most important factors in making this a successful recipe is ensuring your pork chops are at least 1” thick. If it’s too thin the stuffing will break through the pork.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of the Michigan Cherry Committee. The opinions and text are all mine.

Ingredients for this recipe:

For the Pork:

• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 finely minced cloves of garlic
• 2 cups packed baby spinach
• 1 cup cubed sourdough bread
• ½ cup Montmorency tart cherries
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 1 cup shredded fontina cheese
• 6 thick-cut bone-in pork chops
• 2 sprigs each fresh rosemary and thyme
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Sauce:

• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• ¼ cup Montmorency tart cherries

Serves 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Procedures:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a large frying pan over low heat and cook the garlic from 1 to 2 minutes or just until done.
3. Stir in the spinach and cook until it’s wilted, about 4-5 minutes while stirring occasionally.
4. Add in the bread and cherries and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the bread is lightly toasted.
5. Season with salt and pepper and set aside until it is slightly cooled.
6. In the meantime, make a small slice into the side of the pork chop and slice it inside from front to back. Do not make the initial slit into the side of the pork chop any bigger than the width of the knife.
7. Evenly stuff each pork chop with the dried cherry stuffing by pressing it into the slit of the pork chops with your thumbs.
8. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper.
9. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to large frying over high heat. Once it begins to lightly smoke add in the pork chops, and butter, and cook for 5-6 minutes or until well browned.
10. Flip the pork chops over, baste using the rosemary and thyme by dipping into the rendered fat and butter in the pan and brushing the tops of the pork chops.
11. bake the entire pan in the oven at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until cooked throughout.
To make the optional sauce, boil some beef stock in a pot over high heat until it is reduced by ¾ or thick.
12. Stir in whole grain mustard and dried cherries.
13. Serve the pork chops with the sauce and garnish with chopped parsley.

Chef Notes:

Make-Ahead: These are meant to be eaten as soon as they are finished cooking.

How to Reheat: Add the desired amount to a small pan and heat in the oven at 350° F for 10-12 minutes or until warm. You can also heat in the microwave until warm.

How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the freezer for 1 day before reheating.

You may use any artisan-style bread you’d like such as sourdough.

The thick-cut pork chops will be 8-12 ounces in weight.

Use a paring knife or a boning knife when cutting into the pork.