Cornbread-Stuffed Pork Chops — The Anthology-Acceptance Dinner

Cody is on day six hundred and six of his sentence. Sixty-four days remaining. The anthology decision arrived in the mail Wednesday. The cast iron skillet memoir was accepted. The book prints in November and will be distributed to libraries across Oklahoma. I am going to be a published author at seventeen, with a small bio and a one-page piece about a $3 cast iron skillet from Goodwill that has been on this stove since 2014.

I called Mr. Briggs to tell him. He cried into the phone, briefly, and apologized, and we both laughed. Mama hugged me at the kitchen table for a full minute when I read her the letter.

And the recipe Sunday was cornbread-stuffed pork chops because the recipe was a Southern celebration dinner and the moment called for a celebration. Thick bone-in pork chops butterflied and stuffed with a cornbread-and-celery-and-onion stuffing seasoned with sage. Pan-seared, then baked.

The math: four thick pork chops on the markdown rack $7.98, a pan of cornbread baked the day before in the cast iron from a Jiffy box doctored with extra egg and butter $0.85, celery, onion, garlic, sage, salt, pepper, butter, chicken broth from bouillon. Total: about $9.40 for the dinner.

The technique is the butterfly-and-stuff. Cut a pocket in each chop with a sharp knife, parallel to the bone, deep but not all the way through. Fill the pocket with cooled cornbread stuffing. Secure with toothpicks. Sear in a hot skillet, three minutes per side. Transfer to a baking dish, drizzle with chicken broth, bake at 375 for twenty minutes.

Mama said, eating, baby, you are going to be in a book.

The recipe is below. The trick is the toothpicks — secure the pocket so the stuffing stays put during the bake.

Cornbread-Stuffed Pork Chops

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in pork chops, about 1 1/4 inches thick
• 1 cup cornbread, crumbled (day-old works best)
• 1/4 cup celery, finely diced
• 1/4 cup onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a baking dish or rimmed sheet pan with foil and set aside.
2. Make the stuffing. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter and sauté the celery and onion until softened, about 4–5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the crumbled cornbread, chicken broth, sage, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. The mixture should hold together loosely when pressed.
3. Pocket the chops. Using a sharp paring knife, cut a deep horizontal pocket into the side of each pork chop, being careful not to cut all the way through. Season the outside of each chop with the remaining salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
4. Stuff and seal. Spoon the cornbread stuffing evenly into each pocket, pressing gently so it fills the cavity. Secure the opening with a toothpick if needed to keep the stuffing in place during cooking.
5. Sear for color. Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the stuffed chops for 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown.
6. Bake through. Transfer the skillet (or arrange chops in the prepared baking dish) and bake for 25–30 minutes, until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145°F. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 390 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 22g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 480mg