Peach-Stuffed Pork Chops

Ahh, the beginning of summer! Nothing symbolizes this more profoundly than biting into a juicy, ripe peach fresh off the tree! I am lucky enough to live in the heart of South Carolina’s peach country and home to the annual Ridge Peach Festival, held the third Saturday of June. This time of the year, Highway 25, which connects our numerous peach-producing counties, is dotted with peach stands overflowing with fruit. Over the weekend I drove this stretch of back roads and returned home with a trunk filled with these seeded delights. Throughout the next few days I will share with you some of my favorite peach recipes.

Peach-Stuffed Pork Chops

Ingredients
4 1-1/2” Thick-cut Rib Pork Chop, frenched
1-½ cups peaches, peeled and diced
1 cup Diced Vidalia Onion
Salt & Pepper to taste
¼ cup Flour
4 T. Olive Oil
1 cup White Wine
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon. Cardamom
3 cups Peaches, peeled and sliced

Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut pocket into pork chop, but only leave 1-1/2” opening for
stuffing. Have the butcher do this for you. Season chops
inside and out. Add two tablespoons of oil to a sauté or frying
pan that can go into oven. Sauté onions until soft and
translucent.. Remove and cool slightly. Mix onions with
peaches and stuff in chops. Dust chops with flour. Add remaining olive oil to pan.
Place stuffed chops in pan and brown on both sides. Add wine,
cover pan and put into hot oven. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, basting at least once. Remove cover for the last 15 minutes of baking. When done remove pan from oven. Put chops on a platter and keep warm until served.

Sauce:

Put pan on stove and bring to a simmer. Using a wooden spoon, scrape bits from bottom of pan. Simmer until juices are about one-half cup. If necessary, add more wine. Add brown sugar, cardamom and peaches and simmer until peaches are soft, but not mushy. Spoon over chops and serve.