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Stuffed Iowa Steaks (Pork Chops)
 
recipe image
Prep Time: 35 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 65 Minutes
Servings: 12
My local butcher used to cut these nearly 2 inch thick gorgeous pork chops. We would slice open the chop to the bone and stuff with a sweet savory sausage stuffing, these thick pork chops are a summer time hit.
Ingredients:
8 pork chops (special order 1 3/4-inch thick)
3 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups finely chopped red onions
12 ounces sweet italian sausage
8 ounces coarsely chopped apricots
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup dried currant (rehydrate in orange juice)
3 minced garlic cloves
2 oranges, zest of
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup bitter orange marmalade
Directions:
1. Ask your butcher to cut up some inch and half nearly two inch thick bone in pork chops.
2. Prepare rub and coat pork chops up to one day before grilling.
3. Brown sausage, drain, set aside to cool. Cook down onions in hot oil until slightly brown and translucent. Not looking for the caramelized onions you might put on your burger here. Return sausage to pan, add remaining ingredients for stuffing, heat and then cool to touch.
4. Cut center slit in pork chops to the bone, stuff with sausage, onion, fruit mixture. Over stuffing these monsters is okay. A saturated bamboo stick could help hold it together but not necessary.
5. Warm marmalade over low heat until slightly liquid form.
6. Heat grill to medium high, MOM on a three burner Weber (medium-off-medium) , or about a 7-8 count (hand over heat) for charcoal.
7. Grill on indirect heat for 8-10 minutes on first side, flipping and grilling for a remaining 6-8 minutes. This can be one of those times that a fine set of grill marks will pay off big dividends on presentation, so if you're thinking grill marks I am sure you know what to do. When only a few minutes are left coat chop with glaze, being careful not to put on too soon and have sugars burn. Grilling pork can be a personal choice as to when they are done. Because of the moist stuffing, these do not tend to dry out. But with the glaze you can blacken them and give that bitter burnt taste to what was going to be your best meal of summer.
8. Check temp of pork chop and remove from heat. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. I might use a tinfoil tent from time to time if I need to stretch out the time before serving.
By RecipeOfHealth.com