Stuffed Pork Chops

This is a dish I have never had nor made before but I have seen made on the good ol' Food Network. I don't know why I never made it or even tried it because it sounds so appealing. So last week when we bought a 3 foot pork loin from Costco and I was cutting it up for meals and such I decided to cut a few extra thick for some stuffed chops. I decided that I would stuff them with a form of bread stuffing that I make for Thanksgiving but I would add nuts to it to give it some crunch. Let me tell you I was spot on with this one if I say so myself (which I'm pretty sure I just did). If you are a fan of pork and things that taste like the holidays then this is the dish for you. Questions? Feel free to email me.

Kitchen Notes
* I used pork chops but this will work with chicken as well.
* For bread think French bread or those awesome Labrea type breads they have at Costco.
* If you're not using a cast iron skillet, you can use a regular fry pan then transfer them to a sheet pan for the oven.
* Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
- 1/2 an onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled then roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 12 or so fresh sage leaves (10 left whole, the rest minced)
- 1 tablespoon chicken base
- 1 teaspoon bacon grease (trust me)
- 1/2 loaf of fresh bread, left out over night, then crust removed and cubed small
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup cream or half and half
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- salt and pepper
- 4, 1 inch thick pork chops cut so there's a small hole and a large pocket inside the meat
- garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 cups chicken stock

The Process
1. Combine the onion, celery, carrots, garlic and 10 of the sage leaves with a little bit of water in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. If it's not pulsing smoothly, add a little more water (don't worry we're going to cook it out).
2. In a saute pan, add the puree mixture with the chicken base and bacon grease and cool until the liquid has cooked off about 10 minutes.
3. Pour mixture in a bowl with the bread crumbs and mix well. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to allow to cool. Then stir in the egg, cream and pecans then season with salt and pepper.
4. Stuff each pork chop as full as they'll get. Then season with salt and pepper and the garlic powder. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
5. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the oil if hot, add the pork chops and cook for 8 minutes per side (or until they are well browned) rotating half way through. Then both sides are browned place skillet and chops in the oven for 6 minutes to finish cooking.
6. Remove pan and place chops on a plate then cover with foil. Return pan to medium high heat and add the butter. When the butter melts whisk in the flour to make a roux and cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add the stock and the minced sage and bring to a boil stirring occasionally making sure the roux is mixed in. When simmering, turn heat to medium low and cook for 3 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper.
7. To serve, place a chop on the plate and cover that and whatever else you have on their with the gravy.
8. Enjoy!