Pork stuffed Pork Chops

Yea, I got your attention! Pork INSIDE of pork? It makes it total sense.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.

1-1/4# Sausage link of your choice (raw). Spicy Italian works out great
1 med Granny Smith apple, small dice
6 med White mushrooms
1/4 onion, small dice
1 ea celery stalk, small dice
1/2 tsp dried sage
S/P
Oil to saute, I use coconut oil

2 Thick cut Pork chops, bone-in, at least 2"-3" in thickness, about a 1# each.

Remove sausage from casing and saute in a very hot pan, breaking up the meat. Brown. Add onion, saute until translucent. Add apples. Saute for 2 mins. Add Celery. Saute for 2 mins. Add mushrooms. Add salt; this will draw out the water from the mushrooms. Saute from another 3 minutes.

Cool sausage stuffing.

*For those in new territory being in the kitchen, to Saute is derived from the verb sauter "to jump." So when you saute it usually mean med-high heat, with constant stirring and movement in the pan.

With a sharp knife, cut a long slit in the middle of the pork chops, lengthwise, starting opposite of the bone. You want to make a deep pocket to stuff. Once the stuffing is cool, pack as much of it into the slit. Taking toothpicks, use them to "staple" the slit closed.

In an oven safe fry pan, heat oil (coconut oil because it has a high smoke point 300+ degrees) until smoking. Sear both sides until a nice crisp, dark brown. Immediately stick into the oven. 1# should take about 35-40 mins. I would pull it out at 35 mins, cover with foil and let the meat "rest." It will continue to cook out of the oven. But always check with a fork that the juices run clear and not red, pink is ok. REMOVE THE TOOTHPICKS BEFORE SERVING :)

Be a heathen and throw out the knife and fork and eat it with your hands-- that's why there's a bone, it doubles as a handle :)

~Chef Assassin