Eric Oetter02:09PM on October 29, 2009

Two posts in three days? I can get used to this.

Recipe looks solid, man. I'll be on the lookout for a gorgeous girl who enjoys Double Dead Guy Ale to share it with - I'm just afraid you might have found the only one. :)

-Eric

Jason Pegg02:22PM on October 29, 2009

Sounds good. how awesome was the beer? That is the true question!

Jason
http://www.jasonpegg.com

Will05:24PM on October 29, 2009

Well, that chicken wasn't stuffed with any butterfly at all. Now what the hell do I do with 2lbs of fresh Monarch?

J.C.06:48PM on October 29, 2009

Got this recipe from my mom, I think she stole it from a magazine somewhere and adapted it. Regardless this is amazing and plated with some good polenta makes a kick-ass fall/winter meal.

Fontina and Prosciutto stuffed Pork Chops

4 bone-in pork chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick (preferably from a once happy pig)
2 quarts water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
4 fresh thyme sprigs
10 cloves
6 allspice berries
3 ounces prosciutto
3 ounces fontina (preferably raw milk val d'aosta)
1/2 cup chicken stock
cold cubed unsalted butter
Parsley (garnish)
California red grapes cut into sections

Make a brine by combining the water, sugar, salt, thyme sprigs, clove and all-spice berries in a re-sealable bag. Add the pork chops, seal up the bag and put in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425...

Drain the pork chops and dry well. Make a horizontal cut into the center of each chop to make a pocket. Stuff a slice of fontina wrapped with a piece of prosciutto inside each pocket and secure with a toothpick. Set large cast iron (it's important to use cast iron because they hold tremendous heat, if you don't have cast iron then use an oven proof skillet and let it sit on your stove until it's so hot if you touch the rim it'll brand the back of your finger) add olive oil to each skillet. Add chops to the skillets and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until golden. Turn chops and set grape clusters in pan. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper before putting the pans in the oven. Roast chops for 5 to 7 minutes until cooked through and cheese has melted. Remove from oven when done and set chops and clusters of roasted grapes aside on a plate let them rest for 3-4 minutes.

Consolidate juices into 1 pan and set over medium heat. Add a splash of chicken stock to the pan, scraping the bottom to extract all the flavors. Fold in cold butter cubes while whisking to thicken sauce until it reaches a nice balance (about 4 tbs. of cold butter). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Plate the chops drizzled with the pan sauce aside the roasted grapes. I prefer to eat this with polenta, but if you're keeping it low-carb then roasted acorn squash would be awesome. Plus you can roast the squash with bourbon.

I'm not judging you for microwavable veggies... they are easy

Konstantin09:11PM on October 29, 2009

I'm going to try this recipe out... maybe impress a girl with "my" low-tech cooking ideas.

On an unrelated note... damn it, Nate. Thanks to BFS I no longer fit into any of my old dress clothes. Finding a new tux, especially on a budget, is going to be a bitch.

Daniel03:24AM on October 30, 2009

I am having chicken tonight, so am gonna try this!

TJ04:45AM on October 30, 2009

Chicken sounds good. I know the beer was good. Off topic now. Did I miss the follow up post about your homebrew? How did that turn out? What did you make?

Daniel02:26AM on October 31, 2009

I had this last night and it was TASTY.

Had to put a bit of a spin on it too - my competitive nature. :)

I wrapped it in parma ham and then placed the chicken breasts in a baking tray with sweet potatoes, carrots, sprouts and broccoli and a bunch of garlic, salt and pepper for good measure.

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...