Stuffed Chops, fried taters, & applesauce

This morning I went to my butchers to get some ground lamb, I wanted to make a gyro meatloaf. I also got three nice thick pork chops for tonight’s supper. They were thick, some of the nicest chops I’ve had lately.

I wanted to stuff the chops with some cornbread stuffing. I was thinking chops just needed to brine about 2 to 4 hours but when I checked my chart it said 12 to 24 hours. I got a brine made from ½ gal. of water, ½ cup kosher salt, ½ cup brown sugar and a couple of smashed garlic cloves. Since I had just 4 hours I threw in a teaspoon of Morton’s tender quick thinking it might help. I cut the pockets in the chops to help with the short brine time.

I cooked a box of Betty Crocker’s old fashioned cornbread stuffing mix for my chops. I did up my gyro loaf using Alton Brown’s recipe. I used ½ lb. ground lamb & 1 ½ lbs. ground chuck & placed it in a saran wrap lined loaf pan & covered. I placed it in the fridge for overnight setting up & will smoke it tomorrow.

At 4:00 I took the chops from the brine, washed off & dried. I placed them in the fridge to dry some. At 4:30 I fired up the smoker & got my chops ready, added the cornbread stuffing. I got them on the smoker at 4:45 running 170 deg. on P3. Those babies were so thick I stood them up for the smoke. At 5:25 I went to 300 deg. They were done at 6:30. That was 45 min. on smoke & 1 hour at 300 deg. I placed them on a rack over some water , covered with foil and in a 210 deg. oven while I fried the potatoes & made gravy.

We usually have our favorite fried potatoes & applesauce with pork chops and I made some Pioneer Brand country gravy for over the chops. The chops were great, moist & tender and the gravy hit the spot. The short brine time worked, some of the best chops I have done in a while. I used my carbon steel skillet to fry the potatoes, no sticking at all.

The gravy mix

The chops

Stuffed chops

After 45 minutes on smoke

About done

My Plate

Smokin Don