HOI Approved

I had to cook some thick pork chops the other day, and I didn’t know what to do. I decided to rely on a recipe from my book.

If you have the book, you’ve noticed the stuffed pig recipe. It has two parts. First, a recipe for stuffed pork chops. Then a recipe for an entire pig. I cannot recommend these recipes highly enough. You won’t believe them until you try them.

I didn’t stuff the pork chops I cooked recently. Instead, I took one idea from the recipe and used it. I have sage growing in the yard, so I grabbed a handful. I poured about a cup of apricot nectar and a cup of Marsala (Florio’s sweet) in a pan. I shredded the sage into it and added salt and pepper, I added two tablespoons of butter, and I reduced the liquid until it was thick. I had already salted the chops and set them aside to absorb the salt. I brushed the liquid on the chops and baked them at 350 until they hit 170 degrees on the inside.

They were excellent. You should try it. I think they would be much better if you soaked them in the nectar and Marsala for a day before reducing it. And if you want to be a complete perfectionist, brine them in a baking soda solution for a day before that.

They’re better with stuffing, but this version has the benefit of not killing you as quickly.

If you use the recipe in the book, make sure you use a thermometer instead of relying on time. Jam it in the middle of the stuffing. When the stuffing is cooked, the pork is definitely safe.

I think peach nectar would be good, too.