Recipe: Baked Stuffed Pork Chops (apricot-pecan, Cuisinart Food Processor recipe)

BAKED STUFFED PORK CHOPS

"Quick enough to be an everyday meal, special enough for guests."

4 (1-inch thick) pork rib or boneless pork loin chops
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 shallot, peeled, halved
2/3 cup pecans, lightly toasted
2/3 cup dried, pitted apricots
1 tablespoon grainy Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon bourbon whiskey
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Use a sharp, pointed knife such as a boning knife to cut a pocket in each pork chop horizontally to the bone (or almost through if using boneless chops). Reserve.

Insert metal blade. Place thyme, sage, paprika, and pepper in work bowl. With machine running, add shallot through feed tube and process to chop, 5 seconds.

Add pecan halves and apricots to work bowl. Pulse until nuts and apricots are coarsely chopped, 12 to 15 pulses.

Add mustard, whiskey, and soy sauce; pulse to blend, 5 times.

Divide the apricot-pecan mixture evenly and stuff each pork chop. Skewer pockets closed with toothpicks if necessary. Season chops lightly with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Melt butter over medium high heat in large (12-inch) skillet with oven- proof handle. Brown pork chops on each side, 2 to 3 minutes.

Place skillet in preheated 350 degree F oven. Bake until pork is cooked through (will read 155-160 degrees F when tested with an instant read thermometer), about 20 to 25 minutes. Let pork chops rest, loosely covered, for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings
Source: Cuisinart Food Processor DLC-5 Series Instruction and Recipe Booklet