Thick cut bone-in pork chops stuffed with smoked mozzarella and chopped capers, served with a zesty tomato sauce on creamy polenta. I can’t think of a dish more delicious – comfort food at it’s best. I cut down on the preparation time by buying a good quality tomato sauce and amping it up with some extra garlic, shallots and fresh basil. I like to sear the pork chops in a cast iron pan then finish them in the oven. If you don’t have a cast iron pan, just use your regular pan and transfer the chops to an oven safe dish instead. For the polenta, I like add some heavy cream and butter at the end of cooking and season with Spike seasoning (if you can get your hands on it – it complements the flavours in this dish perfectly), otherwise salt and pepper to taste. Serve this dish your favourite sauteed veggies. Hope you enjoy!
Smoked Mozzarella Stuffed Pork Chops with Polenta and Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Pork Chops
- 4 bone-in pork chops thick cut
- 4 slices smoked mozzarella
- 1/3 cup capers chopped
- 8 toothpicks
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Tomato Sauce
- 1 jar good quality prepared tomato sauce about 3 cups
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large shallot minced
- 4 tbsp fresh basil chopped
Polenta
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 4 cups water
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 4 tbsp butter
- Spike seasoning or salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place chops flat on cutting board and, using a sharp paring knife, make a horizontal slit 3 inches deep and 3 inches long in the side of each chop. Add one slice of mozzarella into each chop. Stuff an equal amount of chopped capers into each and close. Secure with 2 toothpicks per chop. Set aside.
- Next, prepare the tomato sauce. Heat olive oil in sauce pan and lightly saute the garlic and shallots. Add the tomato sauce and heat through. Add chopped basil and stir to combine. Keep warm.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in cast iron frying pan. Season stuffed chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Sear on both sides until browned (approximately 2 minutes a side). Place pan in oven to finish cooking the chops. This should take about 20 minutes or so or until the internal temperature reads 145 degrees F.
- While the pork is cooking, prepare the polenta. In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the cornmeal slowly to the water while whisking to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking often, until polenta starts to thicken, about 10 minutes. Polenta is done when texture is creamy and the individual grains are tender. Whisk in cream and butter and season with Spike or salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide polenta between 4 plates. Top each with a pork chop and a generous amount of tomato sauce. Enjoy!
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