Herb-Stuffed Pork Chops

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                            FOOD FUNNY
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Here's an oldie but goody from Rosemary Zwick:

A horse walks into a restaurant and ordered a well-done cheeseburger
with onions, pickle, relish, ketchup, and mustard. The waiter brought
the food to the horse, who finished it off with great pleasure. Noticing
a cowboy staring at him as he ate, the horse said, "I suppose you think
it's strange that a horse should come into a restaurant and order a
well-done cheeseburger with onions, pickle, relish, ketchup, and mustard."

"Not at all," the cowboy said. "I like it that way myself."

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                            TODAY'S RECIPE
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Stuffed pork chops are certainly not unique to American cooking, but
there was a day when it seemed that every restaurant and diner in the
USA featured them on the menu. This recipe relies on fresh herbs for a
slightly more sophisticated rendition than you will find in the typical roadside diner.

Herb-Stuffed Pork Chops

6 Tbs (90 ml) butter
1/2 lb (250 g) mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup (60 ml) finely chopped celery
1 cup (250 ml) dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped fresh chives
1 Tbs (15 ml) chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped prunes, apricots, figs, or other dried fruit
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 to 6 double-rib pork chops, with a pocket cut in the middle
1 cup dry white wine, chicken stock, or water

Melt 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of the butter in a large heavy skillet over
moderate heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, and celery and cook until the
onion is translucent. Add the bread crumbs, the herbs, dried fruit,
salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Set the stuffing aside.

Season the pork chops inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the
mushroom mixture loosely into the pockets and fasten with a toothpick or
two. Heat the remaining butter in a large heavy skillet over high heat
and brown the chops on both sides. Reduce the heat to low, add the
liquid to the skillet, and simmer covered until the chops are tender, about 1 hour.
Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Mon Jun 14 19:40:23 2010