Have I ever mentioned what a lucky gal I am? I mean seriously. Just look at this beautiful pork chop dripping with apricot glaze and understand how lucky I am. My husband Erik loves to cook. And he’s good at it. Really good at it. Being the working man that he is, he doesn’t really have time to cook during the week. But when the weekends come around, this is how our family is rewarded. Seriously, just looking at this photo again is making my mouth water for more….and I just ate it!
So let’s talk about this amazing pork chop here. First of all, it is beautifully grilled. Erik is a master at the grill and in the instructions he explains how to grill it so you will get it just right. Secondly, let’s talk about this amazing glaze. It is an apricot cognac glaze which gives it a sweet and savory complex flavor and yet is surprisingly simple to prepare. Finally let’s talk about the “surprise”. Did you notice the bit of cheese oozing from the side of the chop? Well, the pork chops are stuffed with just the right amount of fontina cheese, prosciutto and sage. Oh. my. gosh. I really can’t explain to you the dance my tastebuds did upon eating this delectable dish. Our kids, who don’t always appreciate the superb food they get on a regular basis in this household put the final mark of praise on this meal. My youngest, upon cautiously nibbling on a bite of the pork exclaimed Yu-meeee as he quickly inhaled what I gave him and demanded more! We love it when the kids recognize how good the food is that they get to enjoy!
So I know the cold weather is starting to come around more consistently. But if you can muster up some determination and grill one. more. meal before you put the grill away for the season, (not my husband. He grills all year long! 🙂 ) get out there and grill up these great chops. I promise you that you will agree that the dance your tastebuds will do after one bite of these chops will be well worth the effort!
Ingredients
- 3lb Pork Loin Roast (Boneless)
- 1 Block Fontina Cheese
- 12 Slices Prosciutto
- Fresh Sage, chiffonade (sliced in thin ribbons)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Granules
- Olive Oil
- 1 Cup Apricot Preserves
- ¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- ¼ Cup Cognac
- 1tsp Cracked Black Pepper
- 1tsp Kosher Salt
Instructions
- I like to use a boneless pork loin roast so I can cut the chops myself. Start by trimming some of the excess fat, being careful to leave the silver skin behind, it will help keep the chop from splitting open while cooking. Cut the roast into 1 ½ inch thick chops. A 3 lb. roast should yield about 6 chops. To help with uniformity 1st cut the roast in half and then divide each half into thirds. Dab the chops with a paper towel to make them a little easier to handle.
- Insert a boning knife if you have one or a sharp steak knife into the end of the chop and gently slice a pocket being careful not to poke out the sides. The opening of the pocket should be just a little bigger than the cheese and prosciutto you’ll be stuffing in the pocket. I cut the Fontina into 6 pieces that were about ¼ in thick, ½ in wide, and 2 in long, sprinkled a few bits of the sage on it (use sparingly), and then wrap each piece with a single slice of prosciutto. Stuff one piece of the cheese wrapped in prosciutto in each chop. Drizzle a little olive oil on the chops and then season them with salt, cracked black pepper, and garlic granules.
- Next, prepare the glaze. Place all glaze ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into a sauce pan, bring to a boil, and reduce by half.
- Grill the chops over medium high heat. Put the chops on the grill, after about 3 minutes flip them over and apply glaze to the first side, after 3 minutes flip them over and glaze them again. Another 2 minutes per side applying the glaze each time and then finally 1 minute per side. The idea is to ensure the pork is cooked through and also to further caramelize the glaze being careful not to burn it. Remove from the grill, cover, and set aside for 10 minutes prior to service.
it looks amazing!
Thank you Dina!
I think I’m going to try this.
I hope you do Terry! It is SO yummy!! Let us know how it turns out for you or if you have questions along the way!!