Recipe

Homemade Andouille Stuffed, Bacon Wrapped Double Cut Pork Chops With Awesome Ham Hock Gravy

Ingredients

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 pound Homemade Andouille, or other spicy smoked sausage, removed from casings and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped yellow onions
1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups crumbled corn bread
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 (14 to 16-ounce) double-cut, bone-in loin pork chops
1 tablespoon Essence
16 slices bacon
Ham Hock Gravy

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large, heavy skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the andouille and cook, stirring, until brown, about 3 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, and celery and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the corn bread and chicken stock and cook, stirring, until the corn bread is soft, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and mix in the parsley. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, with a thin sharp knife, cut a slit into the side of the pork chops about 2 1/2-inches across and 1-inch deep. Season the chops on both sides with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the Essence. Then stuff each chop with about 1/2 cup of the cooled corn bread stuffing. (The chops will be very full.) Wrap 4 slices of bacon around each chop, making sure that each end of bacon overlaps the next, so that the chop is completely wrapped.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a very large heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully lay the chops in the pan. Cook until the bacon is crispy, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Transfer the chops to a platter and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm and serve with Ham Hock Gravy.