Stuffed Pork Chop with Fava Bean Panatella and a Chunky Apple Sauce

The other night I just wanted something different. I had a bag of fresh fava beans that I bought at a farmer's market that were just waiting to be devoured. When I went grocery shopping I noticed my butcher carefully arranging some juicy looking bone-in pork chops and right there and then I knew what I'd serve for dinner.

Stuffed pork chops with fava bean panatella and a chunky apple sauce. Absolutely, positively, definitely delicious and different!

Ingredients to serve 2 people:
2 pork chops about 2 inch thick (both chops should weigh about a pound in total. It will give you 5 to 6 ounces of meat per person and the rest of the weight is the bone).
2 cups of white wine, divided
1.5 teaspoons of salt, divided
Bread, fava beans, dried cherries
1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced
A squeeze of lemon juice

Marinade for the pork chops
1.5 cups of white wine (I used $5.99 table white wine by the Big House from Whole Foods. It is something between sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio. But you can use Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, something that you wouldn't mind sipping yet nothing terribly expensive)
1 tablespoon of Dijon Mustard
1 bunch of Tarragon (torn by hand)
1 teaspoon of salt

Combine all of the marinade ingredients and taste for seasoning. Adjust if needed. Then add the pork chops that you have scored. To score the pork chop to create a little pocket for the stuffing, lay the chop flat and slice into it on the side. It is easiest to do this when the chop is really cold and the knife is very sharp. Submerge the chops in the marinade to cover completely (add a bit of water if the chops are not completely covered, stir to combine well.) Let sit in the fridge for 3 hours or at room temperature for about 45 minutes. If marinading int he fridge, you will need to remove the chops and let them come up to the room temperature for about 20 minutes. Removing the chill from the meat allows for a nice sear. Pat dry the chops completely to avoid splatter and help with the searing.

Stuffing for the pork chops
2 pieces of prosciutto
2 slices, about 1 inch, of Nicasio Valley Cheese or some other type of brie that can be sliced
4 leaves per each pork chop of crispy sage
pinch of smoked salt (or regular sea salt)

To crisp the sage, heat the olive oil on a medium heat until it lightly smoking. Add the sage leaves and stir lightly to coat the leaves with the oil. When the leaves stop splattering (about 1 to 1.5 minutes), remove them onto the paper towel to drain.

Lay the prosciutto, place a slice of the cheese, sprinkle with a little bit of smoked salt, add 4 leaves of crispy sage and roll the prosciutto. It will create a little purse. Easy to stuff the chops.

Stuff the chops, make sure that the chops are well dried with the paper towel. Sprinkle the pork chops with some salt and pepper on both sides and cook in the preheated stainless steel pan (preheat on a medium heat for 2 minutes before adding some olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan). Cook for 4 minutes on each side. Let rest on the plate.

Using the same pan, add one apple of your choice, diced. Let the apple brown, stirring occasionally. Add a 1/2 cup of wine and reduce, Scrape the bottom of the pan to lift any bits left from the chops. Sprinkle a bit of salt (a pinch will do). Add the chops back into the pan and cook for another 4 minutes. It will reheat the chops and make the chunky apple sauce really flavorful.

Panatella Ingredients (Panatella is a bread salad)
1 cup of cooked fava beans or frozen favas that have been defrosted
1 cup of cubed day old bread of your choice, bite size (I used black bread for deep dimension of flavor)
1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of butter
1/4 teaspoon of salt
a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat (optional)
2 tablespoons of chopped sweet dried cherries (or raisins)

Preheat the pan on a medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. Add the bread cubes and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, trying to get all sides nice and browned. Add the fava beans and cherries. Toss together, sprinkle with a little bit of salt and red pepper flakes if using.

Serve the panatella with the pork chops and drizzle with the chunky apple sauce.

Enjoy.