You'd think we could slow down in our old age, but there's been a lot going on this fall, and it has taken most of the time and, more to the point, the energy that I usually give to holiday cooking. We talk about having people over, but talk doesn't take any energy, and a whole lot less time than actually cooking, dusting, and vacuuming, so we seldom get past talking.
The other thing is that the pandemic put a wrench in more than our entertaining and left us out of practice. Moreover, once we got past the quarantine, our family was used to other things.
If this sounds a lot like your own life, take heart: it's possible to have a celebratory holiday dinner when you're just two or even all alone. Here's a main dish that can make any meal a celebration, whether you're alone, just two, or braving the whole family.
Baked Stuffed Pork Chops with Cornbread Dressing for Two
When there are just two of you and you want something sumptuous and festive like a traditional crown roast of pork or stuffed turkey, these stuffed chops are simpler and don't leave you with the unmanageable amount of leftovers from either one of those.
If you're actually having a few more people at your table at Christmas, this doubles easily, and I've included a version for 6 that follows so that you don't have to do a lot of math. I mean, it's Christmas: who's got time for that?
Serves 2
2 1-to-1¼-inch-thick center cut pork loin chops
1 cup packaged plain cornbread dressing crumbs or stale crumbled cornbread
¼ cup finely chopped scallion or yellow onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh or ½ teaspoons crumbled dried sage
Salt and whole black pepper in a mill
Whole nutmeg in a grater
About 3 cups beef, chicken, or turkey broth
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose or instant blending flour
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350° F. Make a horizontal cut into the center of the thick loin side of each pork chop, going all the way to the bone, forming a deep pocket. Leave the tenderloin side (sometimes called the eye) whole.
2. Combine the crumbs, scallion, celery and sage in a mixing bowl. Season lightly with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, toss to mix, and moisten it with broth until the crumbs are wet but not soggy.
3. Season the pocket and outer surface of the chops with salt and pepper. Fill the pockets with stuffing and skewer them closed with toothpicks. Warm 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, lidded, ovenproof skillet or flame-safe casserole over direct medium-high heat. Add the chops and brown them well, turning once, about 3 minutes per side. Slowly add enough broth to come up to, but not over, the stuffing in the pockets.
4. Cover and bake until the chops are tender and their stuffing registers 165° F. on a meat thermometer, about 1-to-1½ hours. Transfer them to a platter, loosely cover, and let rest 10-15 minutes before serving.
5. While the chops are resting, make the pan gravy. Put the pan or casserole in which they've cooked over direct medium heat. Add a cup of broth and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping the bottom to loosen any cooking residue. Bring it to a boil, still stirring and scraping, then pour the deglazing broth into a 2-4 cup measuring cup and add enough broth to make 1 cup (you may not need to add any). Wipe out the pan, add a tablespoon of butter and warm it over medium heat. When the butter is hot, stir in the flour and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring until it's smooth, then slowly stir in the deglazing liquid and broth. Stirring constantly, bring it to a boil, adjust the heat to a steady simmer, and season with salt, pepper, and Worcestershire to taste. Simmer 3-5 minutes, or until the flour loses its raw, pasty taste, stirring occasionally.
6. Uncover the chops and pour a little of the gravy over each one, then pour the remainder into a warm sauceboat, and serve.
Baked Stuffed Pork Chops with Cornbread Dressing for 6
This is not much more trouble than a stuffed crown roast, and much more practical for a smaller gathering. And there's no tedious carving at the table.
Serves 6
6 1-to-1¼-inch-thick center cut pork loin chops
2 cups packaged plain cornbread dressing crumbs or stale crumbled cornbread
½ cup finely chopped scallion or yellow onion
¼ cup finely chopped celery
1½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh or 1½ teaspoons crumbled dried sage
Salt and whole black pepper in a mill
Whole nutmeg in a grater
About 4-5 cups chicken, turkey, or beef broth
3 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups broth
2½ tablespoons all-purpose or instant blending flour
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350° F. Make a horizontal cut into the center of the thick loin side of each pork chop, going all the way to the bone, forming a deep pocket. Leave the tenderloin side (sometimes called the eye) whole.
2. Combine the crumbs, scallion, celery and sage in a mixing bowl. Season lightly with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, toss to mix, and moisten it with broth until the crumbs are wet but not soggy.
3. Season the pocket and outer surface of the chops with salt and pepper. Fill the pockets with the stuffing and skewer them closed with toothpicks. Warm 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, lidded, ovenproof skillet or flame-safe casserole over direct medium-high heat. Add the chops and brown them well, turning once, about 3 minutes per side. Slowly add enough broth to come up to, but not over, the stuffing in the pockets.
4. Cover and bake until the chops are tender and their stuffing registers 165° F. on a meat thermometer, about 1-to-1½ hours. Transfer them to a platter, loosely cover, and let rest 10-15 minutes before serving.
5. While the chops are resting, make the pan gravy. Put the pan or casserole in which they've cooked over direct medium heat. Add a cup of broth and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping the bottom to loosen any cooking residue. Bring it to a boil, still stirring and scraping, then pour the deglazing broth into a 2-4 cup measuring cup and add enough broth to make 2 cups. Wipe out the pan, add 2 tablespoons of butter and warm it over medium heat. When the butter is hot, stir in the flour and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring until it's smooth, then slowly stir in the deglazing liquid and broth. Stirring constantly, bring it to a boil, adjust heat to a steady simmer, and season with salt, pepper, and Worcestershire to taste. Simmer 3-5 minutes, or until the flour loses its raw, pasty taste, stirring occasionally.
6. Uncover the chops and pour a little of the gravy over each one, then pour the remainder into a warm sauceboat, and serve.