Pork chops stuffed with spinach and fontina

EDITING IN PROGRESS

This is a fairly quick dish with really good results. The thread subject says it all. You can also make it with veal chops, and the results are nearly identical and not really worth it plus you have the baby cow thing and that's not a risk you want to take if you're trying to impress a potential mate. The dish is impressive though. It doesn't take long, is pretty cheap to make, and tastes great. If I had known how to make this in college, I would not have had to rely so much on my looks and my huge cock.

I prefer to use pork rib chops, but all they had were the loin chops, which still work well. You definitely want bone-in here, sliced thick. Oven temp is flexible. I used 400 degrees on convection.

Mise en place. We have the chops, a container of spinach, and some fontina. Gruyere works well too, just with a stronger, guyerish flavor. We also have a paring knife and a flavor injector from which I have removed the end. The screw in the plunger is there to keep the plunger from popping out of the open end of the the syringe and being a royal pain in the ass.

[timg]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/demagogue_photos/chops/IMG_0491.jpg[/timg]

Start by wilting the spinach. It will need to cool a little, and while that's happening I will prep the chops. Into a hot skillet with a little olive oil, dump the whole bag. Toss it around and in a minute or two it will wilt and you'll think to yourself that you really don't get much spinach for the money. Edit: I should add that you should season (salt and pepper) the spinach here. It will make it taste better, and I think the salt should help in getting some of that extra water out of the spinach. [timg]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/demagogue_photos/chops/IMG_0492.jpg[/timg][timg]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/demagogue_photos/chops/IMG_0493.jpg[/timg]

Strain this and press as much liquid out as you can get without pulverizing it. Once it cools so it's no longer hot to the touch, squeeze it again then toss it in with your grated fontina. Now would be a great time to grate your fontina if you haven't already. [timg]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/demagogue_photos/chops/IMG_0495.jpg[/timg]

Cut through at one end of the chop and work a pocket inside. This isn't that hard, just don't rush it. Mix the spinach with the fontina (I use my hands) and you're ready. [timg]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/demagogue_photos/chops/IMG_0497.jpg[/timg][timg]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/demagogue_photos/chops/IMG_0496.jpg[/timg]

Fill the injector. I just press down in the spinach mixture repeatedly and twist to let it fill up the tube. Inject this into the chop. [timg]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/demagogue_photos/chops/IMG_0498.jpg[/timg][timg]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/demagogue_photos/chops/IMG_0500.jpg[/timg]

I think the one on the left is laughing at me. But I will get my revenge. Put two injections of spinach into each chop. [timg]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/demagogue_photos/chops/IMG_0501.jpg[/timg]

Season and brush with olive oil. I close the entry points with toothpicks. Press gently on them to distribute the igredients in the pocket. This will give you a flatter surface and better sear. The one on the right has the pocket cut close to the surface. Sear this side first so that not much leaks out when it gets all melty (because that side will be facing up). Sear on medium high heat until you get a nice crust. [timg]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/demagogue_photos/chops/IMG_0504.jpg[/timg][timg]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/demagogue_photos/chops/IMG_0512.jpg[/timg]

Into the oven it goes. As it turns out, revenge is a dish best served with an internal temp of 135 to 140f.

On the plate. The first cut is the deepest. [timg]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/demagogue_photos/chops/IMG_0514.jpg[/timg] [timg]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/demagogue_photos/chops/IMG_0516.jpg[/timg]

Bon apetit. [timg]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/demagogue_photos/chops/IMG_0517.jpg[/timg]