Apple, Smoked Gouda, and Bacon Stuffed Pork Chops

I've never had stuffed pork chops until I made this recipe last night.  Most of the recipes I see use stuffing mix, like you may put inside a turkey, and that wasn't appealing to me.  When I found this recipe, I thought it looked interesting and since smoked Gouda cheese is one of my favorite cheeses, I decided to try it.  Normally, I wouldn't post a recipe here without making and tweaking it a few times first (which is why I don't have how-to pictures), but since so many of you wanted it, I'm going to go ahead and post it.  Feel free tweak it as you feel you need to.  I think a smoked mozzarella, Havarti, or blue cheese would all be good substitutes for the smoked Gouda.  Enjoy!

Apple, Smoked Gouda, and Bacon Stuffed Pork Chops
6 pork chops, or loin steaks
3/4 c smoked Gouda cheese, finely shredded
1/2 apple, shredded (it cooks better this way)
2 tbsp bread crumbs (I used Parmesan cheese flavored crumbs)
3 slices of bacon
1/2 tsp rubbed sage (ground would work also)
1/2 c flour
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil

1.  Cook the bacon in which ever manner you desire, until crispy.  I prefer to microwave mine.  To do this, I fold two paper towels in half and place them on a paper plate.  Lay the bacon on the towels and cover with another paper towel.  I then microwave it for 3 1/2 min, or until it is crispy.  Let the bacon cool before handling it, then crumble it into small pieces.

2.  In a cereal bowl, combine the bacon, cheese, apple, bread crumbs, and sage.  Mix until blended with your fingers.

3.  To prepare the meat, place one steak on a meat safe board (plastic or glass, but not wood) and stand it up on the fatty side, or on the bone side.  Press down on the meat to make it easier to cut.  Using a sharp knife, slice down to the fat (but not through), or bone, but be careful not to slice through the ends.  You are basically making a canoe out of your steaks.  See the diagram below.  The arrow is the knife and the horizontal line is where you should cut the meat.

4.  Spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons of stuffing into each steak.  Fill all the steaks with stuffing before you seal each steak.  Once you've stuffed all the steaks, use wooden toothpicks to seal the steak openings closed.  Bring the edges together and weave the toothpick through both thicknesses of meat.  Make sure the seal is good so none of the stuffing oozes out during cooking.

5.  In a small bowl, combine the flour, poultry seasoning, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Mix with a fork.  Dredge all the steaks in the flour mixture.

6.  In a skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium low heat.  I like frying at a lower heat because the meat cooks through without burning on the outside.  Once the fat is hot, place the steaks in the skillet and let brown on one side before turning.  Cook until the juices run clear and there is no pink meat showing, especially on the sides of the steaks.  If you are cooking chops with bones, cook until there is no blood coming from the bone.

The original recipe called for grilling the meat.  I would have, but the 10 inches of snow on the BBQ grill, and the 18 inch drift in front of the grill prevented that.  If you choose to grill the meat, don't dredge them with flour, just sprinkle with the seasonings and grill until the juices run clear.  You can also bake the meat if you wish.  To do this, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.  Season the steaks, but don't dredge in flour, and place them in the baking dish.  Cook uncovered for about 20-30 minutes, or until the juices run clear and the meat is browned.

Reed enjoyed the stuffed pork plain, without any sauce.  Elizabeth and I felt that the meat needed a sauce.  Next time I make this dish, I will make a balsamic vinegar reduction.  To do this, place about 3/4 cup of balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pan and reduce it to half the quantity over medium heat.  Remove from the heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons of cold butter, one tablespoon at a time.  This will incorporate the butter without having it separate from the liquid.  Serve as a side dipping sauce.

I hope you all enjoy these pork chops as much as we did.  They are filling and rich, so about 1 large pork chop per person, or two small loin steaks per person is plenty.  Enjoy!