Pan-fried Stuffed Pork Chops with Parmesan Curls and Marsala-Tomato Sauce

By DomesticMuse

Boneless pork loin chops are stuffed with a mixture of sage, cheese and mushroons and panfried. They are topped with a marsala and tomato sauce and shaved parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

• Pork Chops:
• 4 boneless pork_loin chops
• 4 oz. Raschera cheese (you can substitute fontina)
• 1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
• 8 sage_leaves
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/3 c. dried bread crumbs
• salt
• pepper
• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 T vegetable oil
• Sauce:
• 1 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 c. minced onion
• salt & pepper
• 1/3 c. chicken stock
• 1/3 c. dry_Marsala
• 1 1/3 c. crushed_tomatoes
• 1 T. unsalted butter
• Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (4 oz.)

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from domestickmuse.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

*Preliminaries:*
*Reconstitute the dried mushrooms:* rinse the mushrooms well to get rid of sand. Place in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 30 min., then drain and chop. Set aside.

*To fry the sage:*
Pour enough olive oil into a small skillet to reach a depth of 1/4 in. Heat the oil over medium heat. Test to see if the oil is hot enough by dipping a wooden spoon into the oil. If the oil forms small bubbles around the spoon, it's hot enough. Fry the sage leaves 10-20 seconds per side, and drain on paper towels.

*For the Pork:*
Beat the eggs with salt and pepper in a glass pie plate.
Place the breadcrumbs in another pie plate.
Heat a large skillet (preferably nonstick) with 3 T olive oil and 3 T canola oil over medium heat.
Meanwhile, stuff the chops:
With a sharp knife, make a slit in the side of each pork chop, to within about 1/4 in. of the edges, creating a generous pocket. Be careful not to cut all the way through the chop.
Cut the rind off the Raschera. Cut 4 1/4 in. thick slices to fit into the pockets.
Stuff each pork chop with a slice of cheese, 2 fried sage leaves, and some of the chopped mushrooms. Secure the pocket with 1 or more wooden toothpicks.
Rub the chops with salt and pepper.

Dip the chops first in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumbs. Push the chops firmly into the breadcrumbs. Place briefly on a plate, until all chops are coated. (For a crisper crust, place chops on a rack over a baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 min. before frying.)
Test the oil in the skillet with a wooden spoon to make sure it is hot enough. Put the chops io the pan and cook 5-6 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
Remove the chops and set aside to drain on paper towels.
While the chops are cooking, use a vegetable peeler to cut thin curls of cheese from the parmigiano-reggiano, about 1/2 c.

*For the sauce:*
Pour all the oil out of the pan and scrape off any melted cheese with a wooden spatula. Wipe clean with paper towel. Add 1 T olive oil to the skillet and heat the pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until golden. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the stock and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated (1-2 minutes). Add the Marsala and cook again until almost all the liquid is evaporated and there is a thick syrupy coating on the bottom of the pan. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauces thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter and stir gently to melt.

To serve, place each chop on a warmed plate and spoon some of the sauce over each. Top with the shaved parmesan.