It rained most of the Memorial Day weekend. Instead of a cook-out, we had a cook-in — and baked Iowa chops stuffed with corn, bread, apple and onion and glazed with honey mustard. The chops weren’t the only ones who were “stuffed.”
The Story
I have a confession to make. I have lived in Iowa all of my life, and I have never stuffed a pork chop before. I also have never slopped a hog, detasseled corn — or lived on a farm. Prior to college, all I knew about farming came from reading Charlotte’s Web and visiting the Iowa State Fair to see the biggest pig — who was not named Wilbur.
Whenever I travel outside of Iowa, I am surprised to meet people who think all Iowans are farmers. During my first trip to Texas, I met someone who, after discovering I was from Iowa, asked me, “Is that the potato state?” I explained that was Idaho, not Iowa. Then they asked, “What is Iowa known for?” I had to admit it was pigs and corn.
Iowa is the top state in pork production, raising 30 million hogs every year. Iowa is also the top corn-producing state, producing more than 2 billion bushels annually. Here are a few other fun facts about Iowa’s claims to fame:
- There are six pigs for every person in Iowa.
- The “Corn Belt” is not a fashion accessory. It is several states, including Iowa, known for growing corn.
- The biggest pig ever at the Iowa State Fair weighed 1,259 pounds.
- There really is a “Corn Palace,” but it isn’t in Iowa. It’s in South Dakota.
- Iowa even had a hockey team called the Iowa Chops for a while.
- The “Field of Dreams” in Dysersville, Iowa, could be yours for $5.4 million.
About The Recipe
This recipe for Iowa Stuffed Chops is from the Best of Iowa cookbook. You can find a similar recipe on the Taste of Home website. The only difference between the two is the chops are stuffed before they are browned in a skillet in the Best of Iowa version.
The Cast of Characters
These chops really do feature the “best of Iowa,” using both pork and corn.
The Play-by-Play
In a large bowl, mix together the corn, onion, apple, bread, sage and parsley.
With a paring knife, make a “pocket” in the pork chops.
Spoon the stuffing into the pork chops.
Place the chops in a large cast iron skillet.
Brown the chops for about 5 minutes on each side.
In a small bowl, whisk together honey, mustard, rosemary and salt.
Baste the pork chops with the honey mustard sauce.
Bake the chops in the oven for about 1 hour.
Let the chops rest for a minute or two, and then dig in!
Recipe: Iowa Stuffed Chops
Summary: Huge pork chops stuffed with corn, apples, onion and bread — and glazed with honey mustard
Ingredients & Instructions
For the recipe, see the Best of Iowa cookbook or Taste of Home website.
Baking time (duration): 60 minutes
Number of servings (yield): 2
Meal type: dinner
My rating:
The Footnotes
- Selecting Your Chops: If you don’t live in Iowa and don’t have Iowa chops, don’t worry. Any thick pork chop will do. Make sure it is about 1 ½ to 2 inches thick so you have room for stuffing.
- Cutting a Pocket: Place the chop on a flat surface, and hold it steady with the palm of your hand. Insert a paring knife into the fatty side of the chop to make a slit, running the knife parallel with your hand. Cut a “pocket” for placing the stuffing inside the chop.
- Stuffing with a Spoon: Use a metal spoon to scoop the stuffing into the chop. You also may need to use your fingers to push in the stuffing. You will be amazed at how much stuffing fits in these chops.
- Cooking with Cast Iron: I recommend using a cast iron skillet. That way you can brown the chops on the stovetop and bake them in the oven using the same pan. That also means fewer pans to wash.
- Baking Until Done: Test the chops with a thermometer to make sure they are done. You can either bake them to 145 degrees, now that the USDA has lowered the cooking temperature for pork, or continue to bake them to 160 degrees. I still cook mine to 160.
Additional Resources
Here are a few other stuffed pork chop recipes that look interesting too.
- Apple Cranberry Stuffed Pork Chops from Allrecipes
- Italian Sausage Stuffed Pork Chops from Food Network
- Pork Chops Stuffed with Feta and Spinach from My Recipes
First of all I hope you had a wonderful memorial day despite the minor annoyance of your local weather not collaborating. I’m not much of a pork eater but I love how you stuffed it with corn, vegetables, fruit and herbs. It sounds like it was a great meal and the pictures are so pretty. Thanks for popping by my blog. I’m glad you did.
Thanks so much. These chops are definitely a meal all by themselves. The holiday weekend was still a lot of fun, even thought we had to cook in instead of cook out. Hope you had a good holiday weekend too.
I’ve never made stuffed pork chops before but your recipe makes me want to try a go at it. Looks delish.
I definitely recommend trying it. It’s pretty easy to make too, which is a definite bonus.
YUM! This looks amazing! I love just about any pork, but this looks especially good.
Thanks! This may be my new favorite pork recipe 🙂
Delicious recipe! Can I have a bite please? 🙂
You might not be able to stop with just one bite 🙂