The American Favorites section is where we have placed recipes for dishes that have become American favorites; these recipes are for foods that are enjoyed by many people throughout this great country of ours. In this particular section, I won't assign a specific part of the country as being the origin of the recipe.
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STUFFING
1½ c fine dry bread crumbs ½ pound well-seasoned sausage meat
¼ c heavy cream 1/8 tsp thyme
2 T butter 3 T finely chopped parsley
¼ c finely chopped onion Salt
¼ tsp finely chopped garlic Freshly ground black pepper
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To make the stuffing, combine the bread crumbs and cream in a small
mixing bowl, and stir together to saturate the crumbs thoroughly. Over
moderate heat, melt the 2 T of butter in an 8-inch skillet. When the foam
subsides, add the onions, garlic and crumbled sausage meat. Stirring
constantly, cook until the sausage has rendered most of its fat and has
lightly browned. Scrape the contents of the pan into a sieve and let the
excess fat drain through. Then combine the sausage meat mixture with the
bread crumbs in the mixing bowl. Add the thyme and chopped parsley and mix
together gently. Taste for seasoning. Add as much salt as you think it
needs, and a little freshly ground pepper.
PORK CHOPS
6 well-trimmed, center-cut loin 4 T vegetable oil
pork chops, 1 inch thick, each ½ c finely chopped onion
chop slit on the side to create ½ c finely chopped, scraped carrot
a pocket about 3 inches deep ¼ tsp thyme
Salt 1 T flour
Freshly ground black pepper 1 c chicken stock, fresh or canned
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Preheat the oven to 325°. With a small spoon, pack as much of the stuffing
as you can into the pork chop pockets and seal the openings with small
skewers. Sprinkle the chops generously on both sides with salt and a few
grindings of black pepper. Heat 4 T of oil over high heat in a heavy 10- or
12-inch skillet until a light haze forms over it. Add the chops and cook
them on each side for about 3 minutes, regulating the heat so that they brown
easily and quickly without burning. Remove them to a platter. Pour off all
but a thin film of fat from the skillet and add the ½ cup of chopped onion,
carrot and thyme. Cook over moderate heat for 5 to 8 minutes until the
vegetables color lightly. Then mix in the tablespoon of flour, add the stock
and bring it to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook until the stock thickens
lightly. Place the browned chops, and any liquid that has accumulated around
them, in this mixture. Cover tightly, and bake in the middle of the oven,
basting occasionally with the pan juices, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until
tender.To serve, arrange the chops on a heated platter and pour the sauce, strained or not, as you prefer, over them. Serves 6.
