Heritage Pork Chop Stuffed with Apple, Mushroom, Squash and White Beans

Description

Inspired by myrecipes.com

A delicious and satisfying meal to celebrate the fall harvest.

Ingredients

Brine

  • 4 cups water
  • 4 cups fresh orange juice
  • ¼ cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 ½ tablespoons fine sea salt

Entree

  • 4 (8-ounce) bone-in center-cut heritage pork chops (such as Berkshire)
  • 2 slices bacon
  • ½ cup yellow onion, finely diced
  • ¼ cup apple, finely diced
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced white mushrooms
  • ¼ cup butternut squash, peeled and chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 15.5 oz can northern white beans or cannellini, drained
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Sauce

  • 1 ½ cups finely chopped onion
  • 1 medium sized apple, diced
  • 1 teaspoon minced jalapeño pepper
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup fat-free, less-sodium beef or chicken broth
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 Tablespoons butter

Instructions

  1. To prepare pork, combine first 5 ingredients in an airtight container, shaking or stirring until sugar dissolves. Add pork; reseal and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Remove pork from brine; pat dry with paper towels. Discard brine.
  2. Cook bacon in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; cool and crumble into bits. Add 1/2 cup onion and next 5 ingredients (through 1 minced garlic clove) to drippings in pan; cook 8 minutes or until squash is tender and liquid evaporates, stirring frequently. Next, add in northern white beans and bacon, and stir.
  3. Cut 1 (1-inch) horizontal slit through thickest portion of each pork chop to form a pocket. Stuff about 3 tablespoons vegetable mixture into each chop. Sprinkle both sides of chops evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove pork from pan; reduce heat to medium-low.
  4. To prepare sauce, add 1 1/2 cups onion to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Add apples, jalapeño, and 1 garlic clove and cinnamon to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup broth and 1/2 cup water, stirring until flour dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high. Return pork to pan; simmer 10 minutes or until desired degree of doneness.