BBQ Stuffed Pork Chop with Brown Butter and Crispy Sage

Pork chops and apple sauce, homemade stuffing, and flames from an open fire — this one's a proper showstopper. Thick-cut, bone-in pork loin chops are stuffed with a cornbread stuffing, sweet apple and cranberry, savory pancetta, and earthy walnuts, then grilled over a gas flame until golden and cooked through. Finish with nutty brown butter and crispy fried sage leaves for something that looks and tastes like real effort (even if you've got it down to a fine art).

Ingredients

For the Stuffed Pork Chops

• 4 thick-cut (about 4cm) bone-in pork loin chops, pockets cut into each
• Approximately 200g cornbread stuffing mix, crumbled once measured
• 1 apple, finely diced
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 30g walnuts, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 140g diced pancetta, cooked and drained
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
• ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 3 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
• 60ml buttermilk

For the Brown Butter and Crispy Sage

• 113g salted butter
• 8 whole fresh sage leaves

Method

1. Preheat your gas grill on medium-high heat for 15 minutes until it's properly up to temperature.
2. Place a sturdy frying pan or grill-safe saucepan on the hob over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the diced pancetta and cook until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside, keeping the fat in the pan.
3. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté for 3 minutes until softened. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the diced apple, dried cranberries, and cooked pancetta. Cook for a further 5 minutes until soft and tender, then tip the mixture onto a plate or tray and leave to cool completely.
5. Once cooled, stir through the walnuts, sliced sage, buttermilk, and crumbled cornbread stuffing mix. Mix well until everything is evenly combined.
6. Lay the pork chops flat on a clean chopping board. Using a sharp paring knife, cut a horizontal slit into the side of each chop, working towards the bone without cutting all the way through — you want a good deep pocket for the stuffing. Tip: transfer your stuffing to a piping bag or a zip-lock bag with a corner snipped off — it makes filling the chops much neater and keeps your worktop cleaner.
7. Generously stuff each chop, pressing the filling in firmly. Season both sides of each chop with flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
8. Clean the grill grates with a brush and wipe down with an oiled cloth. Place the stuffed chops on the grill and cook for 6–8 minutes without moving (rotate 45° halfway through if you'd like crosshatch grill marks).
9. Carefully flip the chops and grill for a further 6–8 minutes. Check the internal temperature — you're looking for 75°C throughout, with no pink remaining. If the chops are very thick and need more time, move them to the warming rack, close the lid, and allow them to finish cooking indirectly until they reach 75°C.
10. Remove the chops from the grill and rest for 5 minutes, loosely covered with aluminium foil.
11. While the chops rest, place a medium saucepan over medium heat on the hob. Add the butter and let it melt and foam. Once it begins to turn golden brown and smells nutty, add the sage leaves. Sauté for about 1 minute until the leaves are crispy, then remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on a piece of kitchen paper. Remove the pan from the heat.
12. To serve, place a stuffed pork chop on each plate, drizzle with the brown butter, and top with two crispy sage leaves. Pair with your favourite seasonal grilled vegetables.

Originally published by Bull BBQ. Adapted for UK audiences by Cedar Kitchen in the Garden.