#WHYSO – the opal apple

1 cup cooked wild rice*
¾ cup pecans, chopped & toasted
1 tbsp butter
1 ½ opal apples, cored and diced
¾ cup (about 1 medium) onion, diced
salt and pepper
(*Start with ½ c. uncooked wild rice – this will yield about 1 ½ c. cooked.)

Pork Chops:

4 thick boneless pork chops (around 1-inch thick)
salt and pepper
1 tbsp butter
toothpicks (at least 12)

Glaze:

⅔ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup maple syrup
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 sprig fresh thyme

Prepare the Stuffing:

Cook the wild rice according to package directions.

To toast the pecans, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the pecans and toast for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until nuts are beginning to brown and fragrant. Remove to a plate to cool.

In the same pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apple and onion, and cook for about 4 minutes, until apples just begin to soften. Remove to a bowl and stir in the cooled pecans, cooked wild rice, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. (Wipe out your pan of any apple and onion bits with a paper towel; you can use it later. Fewer dishes for the win!)

Stuff and Sear the Pork Chops:

Remove any excess fat from pork chops and pat them dry.

Using a sharp knife, create a pocket. Some like to place their palm on top of the chop and insert the knife about 2 inches into the chop, parallel to the work surface. You then see the knife from the insertion towards either end of the chop, making sure to leave one long end of the pork chop intact. You want it to open like a book when you’re done. (See pictures above!)

(If you don’t get a cut exactly in the middle, or you accidentally pierce the top or bottom, don’t worry. You can still make it work, using toothpicks!)

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Spoon just under a ½ c. of stuffing* into each pocket (more or less depending on chop size) and close securely with toothpicks by threading each toothpick – up, down, up (like you’re pinning something to sew).

[Reserve remaining stuffing to top the pork chops with when serving.]

Sprinkle both sides of the closed pork chops with salt and pepper.

Heat the butter in the same large pan as before over medium-high heat. Once butter is hot, add seasoned pork chops and sear until browned, about 3 minutes on each side. (Don’t crowd the pork chops; do this in stages or in two separate pans if need be).

(*Because you will use the remaining stuffing to top the pork chops later, be careful not to have anything (hand/utensil) that has touched the raw pork get into the stuffing.)

Bake the Pork Chops:

Preheat oven to 350*. Spray a llarge baking dish (large enough so that chops can be in a single layer; I used a 13×9″ pan) with cooking spray. Place seared pork chops in the bottom of the dish; cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.

Prepare Glaze:

While the pork chops bake, heat balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, and thyme in a small pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer rapidly (uncovered) for about 15 minutes, stirring VERY frequently, until glaze has reduced by about half and has thickened. Be careful not to let it boil again (as it simmers), especially not letting it boil over because it will make a huge mess! Remove from burner and set aside.

Glaze the Pork Chops:

After the pork chops have baked for the 30 minutes, remove from oven and discard foil cover. Carefully drain any liquid from the bottom of the baking dish. Then spoon about ½ of the glaze over the chops (using a spoon to spread over each chop). The glaze should drizzle to the bottom of the pan; give the pan a good shake to distribute it over the bottom of the pan and return to the oven, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Flip the pork chops over; spoon an additional (app.) ¼ c. glaze over the top of the pork chops, shaking again to distribute glaze over the bottom evenly) and bake for 5 additional minutes, keeping a close eye on them so they don’t begin to burn.

Remove toothpicks. Serve pork chops with (reheated) remaining stuffing served on top of each pork chop. We like to eat these with mashed potatoes and a vegetable side.