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Porchetta Pork Chops
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- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 2bone-in pork chops, 1¼ to 1½ inches thick
- 1teaspoon coarse kosher salt, plus a pinch
- 1lemon
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- 2tablespoons chopped rosemary
- Large pinch red pepper flakes
- ½teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
- 2tablespoons chopped fennel fronds, more for garnish
- 2tablespoons olive oil
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pat pork chops dry and, using a very sharp paring knife, cut a large pocket into the fat-covered edge of each chop. Season chops all over with 1 teaspoon salt, including inside pockets.
- Step 2
Finely grate zest from lemon and put in a small bowl. Cut lemon lengthwise in quarters for serving.
- Step 3
Using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a knife, mash garlic with a pinch of salt until you get a paste. Add to the bowl with the lemon zest and stir in rosemary, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, 2 tablespoons fennel fronds and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Step 4
Divide filling between pork chops, stuffing some inside pockets and rubbing the rest on the outside.
- Step 5
Heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sear pork chops on one side for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Gently turn over chops and cook for another minute, then transfer skillet to oven. Cook until meat is just done, about 5 to 10 minutes longer (internal temperature should read 135 degrees on a meat thermometer). Transfer pork chops to a plate, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fennel fronds and lemon wedges.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
We accompanied this with Mark Bittman's asparagus and mushrooms to great effect. I added a teaspoonful of Fallot dijon mustard and two diced anchovies to the filling. This added a tremendous depth of flavor to the filling. Also, I used a covered skillet in the oven and added a bit of white wine to keep the pork very moist. My guests raved.
This has become my default recipe when doing a mid-week pork chop or pork loin dinner. With pork loin I butterfly the meat, rub a light layer of garlic-herb paste on the cut side of the roast, then re-roll and tie with string. Rub remaining paste on the outside and roast until 135 degrees in the thickest section of roast. Delicious.
Great flavors and easy. But follow suggested cooking times closely. I was afraid the pork would be undercooked so cooked slightly longer in each stage, and they came out a little dry. Next time I'll follow the instructions exactly.
I found the flavors somewhat harsh; not sure I'll make this again. Also, Melissa Clark's estimate of 20 minutes for making this dish is risible. Just the cooking requires at least 11 minutes, not including the resting, according to the instructions. Then there's zesting a lemon, chopping fennel fronds and rosemary, and mashing garlic. Rinsing the chops and cutting the pockets. That's a lot to do in 9 minutes.
This was outstanding. We prefer thyme to rosemary so we used half the amount of rosemary and made up the difference with thyme. We made a pan sauce with 1/2 c of dry white wine, and a knob of butter to make a shiny sauce while the chops rested. A side of roasted butternut squash and zucchini rounded things out. Can see this stuffing being used in chicken breasts or even thick salmon fillets with appropriated herb stuffings.
Beware if your chops aren't as thick as the ones Melissa is working with - adjust cooking times or you'll wind up with dry meat, which I did and as others have noted. Maybe 3 minutes to sear and no more than 5 minutes in the oven. I found the herb mixture to be so intensely rosemary-ish that I think it needs adjusting, and I love rosemary. Also, these set off my smoke alarm, another beware!
Made these the other night and they were great. I didn't have any pork chops, so I used 11/2" cut pork tenderloin and I can't see how they could have been any better. I also didn't have any fresh fennel in the house, but the cracked fennel seed seem to do its job. Due try...it's not a porchetta, in the traditional sense, but it is a fabulous and easy Wednesday night dinner.
Because my chops were boneless, I brined them in a combo of apple juice and salt for several hours, then followed the directions to the letter. Perfect results--this was a winner. I served it with Onion and Fennel Risotto (from this site; link below) and some broccoli from our garden--a hit of a meal!
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016978-caramelized-onion-and-fennel-...
"Dry brined" chops in refrig after stuffing and rubbing, then brought to room temp before cooking. I agree with the many comments that timing here seems chancy. The thick chops cooked too much on seared side; not enough on flip side in oven. And it's almost impossible to use an instant read thermometer with two thin "halves" of a stuffed chop. Searing 3 mins per side on high heat then finishing in oven might work better
This was great though I may cut down on the salt next time. I served it with rice and... fennel! I cut up the fennel bulb in thin slices and near the end of the frying time, added the fennel slices to the skillet that then went into the oven. Wow! It was a great accompaniment for these delicious pork chops.
This is truly a winner! For sure, get 1 ½ inch thick pork chops. I didn't salt as there was enough salt with the garlic mortar salting. Did everything as described and it was superb! Served it with Sauteed Sliced Fresh Fennel Bulbs in a white wine & chicken broth reduction. I'll make this recipe again... and again.
I brined the chops for six hours before continuing with the recipe. I would not recommend rubbing the chops with the herb stuffing as the garlic bits burn during the sear and add a bitter taste. Chps turned out tender, juicy and very flavorful.
Being a meat professional I love porchetta from Ariccia. This recipe "noblifies" the original. After having lifted the pork chops from the pan I'd sprinkle in some inexpensive fresh white wine from Ariccia and half a lemon's juice to finalize the gravy. The wine has an appley top note.
I took the tips of a few others and added two mashed anchovies and some Dijon to the oil/garlic/herb paste. My chops were only around 1" thick and cooked 3 min on each side in a cast iron skillet for perfection. I removed the chops to plate and added some cherry tomatoes I cooked down with some garlic, red pepper flakes, a splash of sherry vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Cooked in 375 degree oven until they burst and everything caramelized and then poured on top of the chops. Absolutely delicious!
Have to agree with those who warn about overcooking. My chops were dry (but not tough). I think a lower oven temp would work better.
Pop of fennel was delicious!
I made this exactly as written with only one exception- no fresh rosemary so i used dried. I had a 2 inch chop so obviously had to cook it longer. Delicious, lots of yummy juice. Oh and didn’t spritz with lemon at the end.
Turned out well overall but I did have some adjustments based on what comments and available ingredients. I didn’t have fennel greens so I subbed some tarragon and parsley. Other filing ingredients as written. I also had boneless loin chops so I brined them for about 6hrs prior then rinsed and set at room temp for 45 min. I wished I had backed down a little more o the salt but otherwise this worked well. Reduced sear and bake time for boneless chops and cooked to temp of 135. Will make again.
So delicious; definitely add wine and cover when move to oven as another noter shared. My store didn’t have fennel one time I made this so I used parsley. While it wasn’t as good, it still worked. Don’t let that be the reason you don’t make this!
Used varkenshaasje. A bit too much chili flakes.
Never made pork before My husband loved it I made a salmon with the same spices Delicious
The recipe says to mince the garlic at one point, but in another part, it says to mash it. Which is it? Also, it calls for a teaspoon of salt, but doesn’t mention it again beyond the ingredient list. Making it now; will report back!
Very tasty and simple, replaced the fennel with cardamom due to lacking fennel for 8. You can double or triple the recipe with ease.
The recipe is probably good for those who know what Porchetta Pork Chops tastes like. We did not, but were curious. Unfortunately, we have confirmed that we do not like fennel or stuffed chops. I found it curious that the stuffing taste didn't seem to penetrate into the pork or enhance its flavor.
My chops were 2", after searing I put them in the oven for 10 min til 120, and they were perfect! I did add extra fennel powder as I love the flavor. This is my favorite pork chop recipe!
I would be tempted to braise the chops in a small amount of liquid (wine, broth, etc.); in order to keep them moist, and improve the finished texture of the meat.
Very disappointing, but I did it all on the stovetop to make life easier. The stuffing was just too strong, and I only zested 2/3 of a lemon. I appreciate the effort here, but you can't beat a real roasted porkchetta.
Have made these sticking to the recipe many times and enjoyed it. A keeper. Today had no rosemary but had thyme, subbed the fresh thyme for the rosemary, left off the fennel. I also had thinner chops so I brined them for an hour before preparing them. we were very happy with this variation and will try this again sometime alternating with the original. Also, as others have mentioned when I have thinner chops, I sometimes still make the recipe, but I dropped the cooking time.
This combination of seasonings replicated the best porchetta I have eaten. And not in Italy but instead, the store-made version from the original Lina’s Italian Supermarket in Calgary. I need to dial in my cooking times and temps a bit better for this recipe but the flavour was outstanding on our cheap, thin pork chops. I messed with the herb ratios a bit but got a great tasting and smelling paste for marinating and for insertion into the micro-pockets I created. This was great.
We added pancetta to the stuffing, because why not put pork in the pork? Then my husband decided to smoke it, then sear it. This was a great idea! I feel kind of guilty for tinkering, but I;m that person (so is DH). We served it on a bed of the Roman-style Braised Fennel (I never knew fennel could taste so good) with a side of Italian Roast Potatoes. My grumpy old Sicilian dad said he wouldn't be eating with us because I wasn't serving at 5:00, but he changed his mind when he smelled it!
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