Stuffed Iowa Chops

Second week of April. Morels still coming. By Friday I had six pounds for the year. The mushrooms are now drying or freezing or being eaten. The wedding will have a small mushroom component — sautéed morels with venison medallions for the entree. Hannah and I have been refining that course for a month.

Terry comes next week. The bedroom downstairs is set up. The lamp from her bedroom in Turley I moved Wednesday. The radio. The Bible. The cane Caleb and I made is wrapped in cloth in the closet for the day. The chair from her kitchen — the one she sits in to eat — I drove to Turley Saturday and brought back. I put it at our kitchen table. She will sit in her chair. She will eat at our table. The seven days are planned with reasonable activities — the porch, the workshop visit, a slow walk to the food forest if she's up for it, naps, cooking together, watching old movies.

Saturday Macy and Henry came up. Henry helped me in the workshop on a small project. Macy and Hannah cooked. We had dinner together. Henry asked me about the Cherokee Nation's welding program — he was thinking about applying for the fall. I said: apply. He said: I'm not a citizen. I said: there are non-citizen slots, talk to Linda Walkingstick. He said: thank you. He left with the contact information. I have a feeling he'll be in my fall cohort. The world is small and the Cherokee Nation's welding program is the place where it gets smaller.

Sunday I drove to Turley and brought Terry up. The drive took an hour and a half because she wanted to stop twice — once for coffee at a gas station, once just to look at a field of wildflowers. We arrived at four. She walked from the car to the porch slowly. Hannah was on the porch. Hannah hugged her. Terry sat in the rocker. Hannah brought her tea. Terry said: this is a beautiful porch. I said: yes Mama. She said: I should have come sooner. I said: you're here now.

Hannah and I have been putting serious thought into the wedding entree — the morels and venison medallions are nearly dialed in — but you can’t workshop a fine course every night of the week without something steady underneath it. Stuffed Iowa chops have been that anchor for us this spring: an entree that asks for real attention, rewards patience, and sits down at the table the way a good meal should. There’s something fitting about practicing that kind of care in the kitchen the same week Terry arrived and sat in her own chair at our table for the first time.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 bone-in pork loin chops, 1 1/2 inches thick (about 10 oz each), with a pocket cut for stuffing
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup herb-seasoned stuffing mix
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1/4 cup diced celery
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold all four chops in a single layer.
Make the stuffing. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter and sauté onion and celery until softened, about 4–5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in stuffing mix, chicken broth, cheddar, and parsley until the mixture just comes together. It should be moist but hold its shape.
Season the chops. Pat chops dry. Combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Rub evenly over the outside of each chop.
Stuff the chops. Spoon 1/4 of the stuffing into the pocket of each chop, pressing gently. Secure the opening with a toothpick if needed to keep stuffing in place during cooking.
Sear for color. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Sear chops 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown. Do not crowd the pan — work in batches if necessary.
Roast until cooked through. Transfer seared chops to the prepared baking dish. Roast uncovered for 30–35 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chop (not the stuffing) reads 145°F.
Rest before serving. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Remove toothpicks. Serve with pan juices spooned over the top.

Nutrition (per serving)

Stuffed Iowa Chops — The Entree We Keep Coming Back to While We Wait for Morel Season to End