Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Pork Loin And Stuffing

I’d recently bought two whole pork loins while they were on sale – I’ve decided to stock up a little in case the prices skyrocket next year.  Since this was butcher, bag, and freeze day, I thought some chops cut from one of them would be in order and the idea of baked ones came to mind.

The next light to pop up in my mind, was to look thru “The Estabrook Family Cookbook” recently sent to me by Bob and Lea Ann Brown (Cooking On The Ranch) thinking a family cookbook from people who lived in the mid-west might have a baked pork chop recipe.  Sure enough there it was - Chicken And Stuffing – which I’d already been thinking about, except with pork and the author commented it worked equally well with pork.  So this is the final recipe I used:

Pork and Stuffing
Adapted from Lois Welker, reprinted with Lea Ann’s permission.

6 boneless pork chops, ¾” thick
Brine – recipe below (added by me)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 C. sour cream
¼ can cream of mushroom soup – left from the broccoli casserole (added by me)
A few drops of Kitchen Bouquet (KB) for color (added by Bev)
1 box stuffing mix - Stove Top for Pork
S&P to taste – Aunt Lena added no salt and with the brine neither did I

Basic brine:  Add to a sauce pan 1 C. water, 1 C. apple juice, ¼ C. kosher salt, ¼ C. brown sugar, ¼ tsp. coarse black pepper, ½ bay leaf and heat until sugar and salt dissolve. Fill a 2 cup measuring device with ice cubes and add apple juice to make two cups.  Mix the two liquids in a cool container, stir until Ice melts and pour over the chops – cool liquid further if necessary.  I brined for 4 hours.
 
1. Spray a 9”x12” dish with cooking spray - drain and add pork chops- don’t rinse or pat dry.

2. Mix together the soup(s), sour cream, KB, and a little fresh ground pepper and spread evenly over the chops.

3. Prepare the stuffing mix per package directions plus ¼ cup of extra water for more moisture.

4. Spread the stuffing evenly over the chops and soup mix.

5. Bake uncovered at 350* until chops reach desired doneness – I used a remote probe and pulled them at 137* which took about 30 minutes on convection bake - chicken would take longer to get up to 165* (the recipe says one hour for boneless chicken breasts)

We served it with Bev’s broccoli casserole and fried rice – the rice needed to be used and we wanted to be sure we had something picky eater Madison would eat.  She is our 14 year old granddaughter who is living with us as she did when she was 11 - this should keep us young (or plant us earlier).  Sorry my plate wasn't very pretty.

The chops were very good and the only thing I’d do differently is make some biscuits or boil some potatoes to be whipped or hand mashed – there was plenty of good gravy that needed something to sop it up.  After I coaxed Madison to reluctantly try a bite (our food deal), she ate a whole chop and some broccoli casserole - hard to beat good ole comfort food. 

I’m not much of a cookbook person, preferring to use your blog posts for recipes, except when given a family, or church, town, etc. book, where everyone includes their old favorites, which are often family heirlooms.  I look forward to the next recipe we try from this book - thanks for sending it to us Lea Ann and Bob.

I'm now responding to your comments and hoping you will stop back by - photos best if enlarged by clicking on them.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

10/07/12 event date
 

21 comments:

  1. You've certainly made Aunt Lena proud! She was such a simple person, if she were here to see her name in lights she would most certainly think she was famous. I'll have to send this link to her daughter and grand daughter. You're so welcome for the cookbook. And, I have to admit, her recipes always seemed to coax a picky eater into submission.

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  2. Oooohhh.... this looks and sounds so good.. great comfort food for sure. And what's better is it comes out of a gift from a friend... can't beat that!!

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    1. I agree and will be anxiously awaiting your sauce cookbook.

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  3. I've never thought about using pork instead of chicken with the stuffing. I've made something similar with chicken and love it.

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    1. I think you'd like this one Angela and I've gotten to the point I often use pork loin and chicken breast interchangeably.

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    1. I thought I might hear from you on this one Pam

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  5. It looks like a good dinner. I don't cook pork that often, but a good sauce makes it worthwhile!

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  6. "or plant us earlier" too funny, Larry!

    I like that you used pork instead, good thinking.

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    1. Funny but maybe true, then again perhaps it will make us lunch

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  7. Comfort food at it's best! I think fresh biscuits would be terrific to sop up the extra juices from the chicken dish. The broccoli casserole sounds tasty too.

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    1. Thanks Pam - The entire broccoli casserole was eventually eaten that evening.

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  8. Sounds like a good ole southern meal---one I would LOVE. YES--you need some taters for that gravy!!!!!

    Stay warm... Supposed to freeze tonight. Hope it doesn't.
    Betsy

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    1. FREEZE - I need to go check the weather forecast

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  9. I love how this is a beautifully moist and flavored layered dish--YUM!!!

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  10. Man...I really want stuffing now!

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  11. I just had to stop by and check you out after hearing Susan and Sam and others expound on your delicious food and hospitality. I seem to have "arrived" on the right day! And, I see you are from northern West Virginia. I'm trying to figure out where that would be without looking at a map. Morgantown? I'm from southwestern Virginia--Roanoke to be exact. I go back every October and LOVE it when I get to the mountains of W.Va and the fall colors and knowing I'm almost home.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  12. Larry, This is a great way to ensure that the chops stay moist...and also to add flavor. Of course, I'd have to substitute another cream soup...but no problem...can do! Love pork loin in chops form!! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

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