Stuffed Pork Chops

I have to give a HUGE thanks to Chef Dennis (More Than A Mount Full) for the inspiration to this dish.  He was kind enough to take some time and explain to me a dish he used to make when he worked in a restaurant.  It sounded so wonderful, I couldn't wait to put it into a real meal!  I made these right before we left for our trip, but just didn't have the time to blog about it.  I thought they came out really well, though I should have asked a few more questions of Dennis, like his preferred bread choice.  Chef Dennis said they used to stuff their pork chops with a bread and sweet sausage stuffing...I didn't ask what type of bread, so I went with corn bread.. I like corn bread stuffing and thought it would work well with the pork.  Chris said it had too much of a "Thanksgiving stuffing" taste....which would make sense, since I make a similar stuffing at Thanksgiving.  Due to that, he was not as pleased with the pork chop as I was.  Don't get me wrong, he loved the look and the flavor of the pork itself, it was the stuffing that did not set well with him.  I actually hesitated posting this recipe as I think I could have made it better, but this is my journey, right?  All things on the journey cannot be perfect....all this means is I'll be doing a Stuff Pork Chop Redux post in the future!

Thanks again Chef Dennis!  And, by the way, if you haven't visited Chef Dennis' site, More Than A Mount Full, I highly recommend checking it out....talk about some amazingly good recipes using the freshest ingredients possible.  My mouth waters every time I go to his site!!

And one more thing...my instructions may not be all that clear, so if you have any questions (if you choose to make this), please do not hesitate to ask!

Stuffed Pork Chops
Inspired by Chef Dennis
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
5 oz sweet Italian sausage (casing removed)
1 cup crumbled up cornbread
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, snipped or finely chopped
2 6oz boneless butterfly pork loin chops
4 Tablespoons all purpose flour
salt and pepper
1 egg, beaten and mixed with 1 Tablespoon water
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
In a small pan, cook the sausage over medium heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, for 2-3 minutes or until the sausage is no longer pink.  Let cool.  Mix the cooled sausage with the cornbread, cheese, and rosemary.  Set aside.

Split the pork down the side using a sharp knife, but not cut all the way through, you basically want to butterfly the pork.  Pound the pork as as thin as you can without tearing the meat.  Stuff the pork and seal the edges together with just a tad bit of water and egg mix.  Season the pork with salt and pepper and let rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a shallow dish add the flour and season with salt and pepper.  In another dish have your egg ready.  And yet in another dish, add the seasoned bread crumbs.  Dip the pork in the flour and shake off any excess.  Now dip it into the egg wash and then into the bread crumbs, pressing down to make sure the pork is nicely coated.  Let the meat rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

In a skillet over medium high heat, add the oil.  Brown all sides of the pork then transfer to a baking dish.  Finish cooking the pork in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!