There are few things I love better (to eat) than Piggy, and pork chops, especially the thick-cut boneless kind are always on the menu at our house.  Here's a great recipe with a double shot of pork, and which can be made either in the oven or on the grill:

Pork Chops Stuffed with Smoked Gouda and Bacon

INGREDIENTS:
2 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, shredded (or any other cheese you're a fan of)
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (also yummy with chives or scallions!)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (2 1/4 inch thick) center-cut pork chops (bone-in or boneless)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS (for the grill):
1.Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat.
2.In a small bowl, combine the cheese, bacon, parsley, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
3.Lay the chop flat on cutting board, and with a sharp knife held parallel to the board, cut a pocket into the pork, going all the way to the bone(if boneless, slice toward fat side, leaving fat intact), but leaving the sides intact. Stuff cheese mixture into pocket, and close with a wooden toothpick. Brush meat with oil, and season with salt and more black pepper.
4.Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until pork is done. Be careful not to overcook!

DIRECTIONS (for the oven):
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a shallow baking dish.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cheese, bacon, parsley, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
3. Lay the chop flat on cutting board, and with a sharp knife held parallel to the board, cut a pocket into the pork, going all the way to the bone (if boneless, slice toward fat side, leaving fat intact), but leaving the sides intact. Stuff cheese mixture into pocket, and close with a wooden toothpick. Brush meat with oil, and season with salt and more black pepper.
4. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or it may take longer if your chops are thicker. Cook until the stuffing is hot, and chops are to your desired degree of doneness. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 07:19 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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1 We never ate pork when I was growing up -- my father had some sort of liver condition and the doctor said he shouldn't eat it [shrug] -- so I've had pork chops like twice I have to say this recipe looks yummy!

Posted by: Ith at February 10, 2006 08:43 PM (sCBe0)

2 Good grief this looks good!

Posted by: Bou at February 11, 2006 06:56 PM (iHxT3)

3 Whoooo boy, I have been living on lettuce and celery and tomaotos trying to lose some blubber and then I see a recipe like this. It does look good and one of these days I may try it just for the smell becuase I know I can't eat it.

Posted by: GUYK at February 12, 2006 05:06 AM (iAhlK)

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It's been a looooooong time since I posted a recipe, so it's about time, and in honor of this weekend's Chocolate-Fest at Amy's, I give you a tried and true personal favorite:

Irish Cream Chocolate Cheesecake

Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes Ready In: 9 Hours 20 Minutes
Yields: 12 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (Crushed Oreo or similar)
1/3 cup confectioners' (powdered) sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup butter, to be melted
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (yes, same as above, you need it twice)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Irish cream liqueur (love that Bailey's)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs, confectioners' sugar and 1/3 cup cocoa powder. Add melted butter and stir until well mixed. Pat into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes; set aside. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, white sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa and flour. Beat at medium speed until well blended and smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in the sour cream and Irish cream liqueur; mixing on low speed. Pour filling over baked crust.

3. Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C), and continue baking for 60 minutes.

4. With a knife, loosen cake from rim of pan. Let cool, then remove the rim of pan. Chill before serving. If your cake cracks, a helpful tip is to dampen a spatula and smooth the top, then sprinkle with some chocolate wafer crumbs.

TIPS:
If the top of your cheesecake cools too fast and cracks, you can also cover those unsightly blemishes with fruit (like strawberries or raspberries) or a chocolate whipped cream (use real whipped cream, you'll taste the difference)

This also makes a YUMMY cheesecake if you substitute Kahlua (or any coffee liqueur) or Grand Marnier (any good Triple Sec will do, I suppose) for the Irish Cream. Amaretto or Frangelico might also be nice, but I haven't tried them.

Enjoy!

Posted by: caltechgirl at 03:49 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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